The Cayman Islands may be a Caribbean paradise for visitors with its warm tropical breezes and inviting beaches, but that wasn’t the case for the USF women’s basketball team.
The Bulls were blasted 87-46 Saturday night by 17th-ranked TCU in their second of two games at the Cayman Islands Classic. On Friday, the Bulls were at least competitive against Mississippi State before falling 59-52.
However, Saturday’s game was a rout from the start.
USF never led and trailed by 10 points less than five minutes into the game, and it only got worse. The Horned Frogs led 21-6 with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter, and, well, you get the idea.
TCU cruised in the second half, outscoring the Bulls in the final two quarters 47-24.
Vittoria Blasigh, with 16 points, was the only Bull in double figures. USF shot 33.9 percent from the field, including a drab 3-of-15 on 3-pointers. The Bulls shot only four free throws during the entire game.
TCU shot 52 percent from the floor and out-rebounded USF 42-25.
The loss dropped the Bulls to 4-5 overall, with all five losses coming against the ambitious non-conference schedule Bulls coach Jose Fernandez assembled to better prepare his team for American Athletic Conference play.
USF returns home to face Merrimack on Thursday at 11 a.m. on Education Day at the Yuengling Center. After a 10-day break following that game, the Bulls travel to face defending national champion South Carolina on December 15.
Also, the December 21 game against Duke at the Yuengling Center will now tipoff at noon and has been moved to