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Bull bits

TAMPA -- Just when the South Florida women's basketball team was able to enjoy the return of one standout player, it lost another to injury.

In the Bulls' 69-54 loss to Texas Christian on Feb. 1, Aiya Shepard sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in her right knee and will be out the remainder of the season. However, the injury will not require surgery.

The injury occurred in the same game in which the Bulls welcomed back freshman guard Jen Kline, who had missed six weeks with a leg stress fracture. Shepard, a junior guard, is USF's third-leading scorer and is 10th in Conference USA with 14.1 points per game (teammates Kline and Sonia Cotton average 14.5 and 14.3 points per game). Shepard, an All-Conference USA second-team selection a year ago, will enter her senior season at No. 10 on the USF career scoring list with 1,102 points. The Bulls (12-10, 2-7 in C-USA) play at Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday.

SOFTBALL: The University of Tennessee's travel plans helped USF avoid a possible five-game losing streak to open the season.

Hosting the Louisville Slugger Tournament last weekend, the Bulls lost four games before tying the Vols to go 0-4-1 during the event. The Bulls lost 6-2 and 4-3 to Northwestern and Tennessee on the first day, followed by 9-3 and 5-2 losses to Florida Atlantic the next day.

On the tournament's last day, USF and Tennessee played to a 4-4 tie before the game was called in the eighth inning, allowing the Vols enough time to make their return flight to Knoxville.

Stephanie Roberts led USF with five hits and four runs scored. Shelly Riker had four hits and scored a run and Holly Groves had four hits and scored twice.

BASEBALL: The Bulls begin the season Saturday at Red McEwen Field with a 1 p.m. game against Stetson. The teams play again Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Bulls, who went 33-31 last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, have been picked to finish fourth in Conference USA this season in the league's preseason coaches poll.

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