TAMPA, Florida – HBU women's basketball fell to no. 23 South Florida, 90-43, in its season opener Sunday afternoon at the Sun Dome.
Sophomore guard
Sophie Taylor led the Huskies (0-1) offensively with 15 points, hitting 3-of-6 3-pointers and 5-18 from the floor. Junior center
Veronika Kirienko had seven points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard
Shannon Jones also posted seven points with two rebounds, while sophomore guard
Britta Daub led the team with eight rebounds.
USF (2-0) was led by Kitija Laksa with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Laura Ferreira and Maria Jespersen each recorded a double-double. Ferreira recorded 10 points and 15 rebounds, and Jespersen had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Laia Flores chipped in with 14 points.
USF out-rebounded HBU, 67-38, resulting in a 31-4 advantage on second-chance points. The Bulls shot 41.1 percent from the field, including 11-for-37 from beyond the 3-point line, and 5-of-10 from the free-throw line. HBU shot 25.8 percent from the field, 6-for-21 behind the arc and went 3-for-3 from the fee-throw line.
Taylor and Daub hit back-to-back threes as the Huskies took an early 6-5 lead. The Bulls went on a 9-0 run, but Jones and Taylor each nailed threes to make the score 19-14 at the end of the first period. Jones was the lone scorer in the second with four points as USF put up 21 points to lead, 40-18, at the break.
Coming out of the half, Taylor scored a bucket, but Jespersen answered back with a shot from behind the arc.
Lauren Calver drove to the paint bringing the score to 47-24, then Taylor added another 3-pointer and two free-throws. Calver and Gwarda chipped in with baskets as the Huskies trailed, 58-33, at the end the third. Laksa led off the fourth period scoring, starting a 13-point surge broken by a 3-pointer by
Brooklyn Moore.
The Huskies will return to Sharp Gym to take on LeTourneau on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. HBU will then travel across town to Tudor Fieldhouse Saturday at 2 p.m. to take on Rice.
