You might look at the 80-54 win by the South Florida women's basketball team over Furman Monday night and assume things in error.
This was not one of those "big team blows out a cupcake" games to open the season. Furman was the preseson No. 1 in the Southern Conference. It was a November win to open the season that could have implications in March, when NET rankings help determine NCAA tournament bids and seedings.
The Kristy Curry era at USF broke from the gate with a runaway run from the start and the Bulls never took their foot off the gas. USF dominated from the openint tip and led 27-12 after the first quarter. For a fan, the game was everything USF could have wanted from a new coach from a power conference with a mostly new roster.
Name an area and the Bulls dominated.
Offensively, USF put six players in double figures, led by Stefanie Ingram with 15.
The Bulls outrebouned Furman 48-25 and outscored the vistors 50-26 in the paint. They hit 52 percent of their shots and held Furman to 33 percent.
They had 18 fast-break points to just three for the Paladins.
It was, no doubt, an evening that lived up to the team's "Grit, Love and Gratitude" mantra.
The Bulls were unselfish.
They were gritty.
They were functioning as well as a team with a new coach and roster could expect on opening night. It there were jitters, they didn't show.
It wasn't about who got the points, as long as it was someone in Green and Gold.
Will they get better?
Of course. So will everyone else they play.
But for a program looking for a reboot after 25 years of leadership by long-time coach Jose Fernandez, this was about as good as it could get.
USF now heads to Nashville on Friday to face Belmont.
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