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© St. Petersburg Times, published November 19, 2001
BOSTON -- South Florida coach Jose Fernandez turned 30 Sunday. His women's program, coincidentally also 30, may be coming of age.
The Bulls stormed past SMU 79-64 Sunday afternoon in the title game of the Boston University Invitational at Case Gymnasium. The Mustangs, who have made NCAA Tournament appearances since 1994, were picked to finish third in the WAC in a preseason poll of the league's coaches.
"This is a great feeling," Fernandez said. "The girls came to play, and they just wouldn't let up. They wanted to win this tournament, and it was a great birthday present."
USF, which finished 4-24 last season, opened with back-to-back road wins for the first time since 1999, when it won its first four road games.
"It's early in the year, but these are the type of victories that you want to get," Fernandez said. "When it comes down to crunch time and we're in the hunt for a postseason bid, you need to have a quality win against a team like this from a quality league."
Junior transfer Sonia Cotton had 24 points, Aiya Shepard 19 and Jen Kline 17. Kline, a freshman who opened her college career in the tournament, scored 40 in two games and was the event's MVP.
Shepard, who averaged 22 points, was a member of the all-tournament team.
Cotton hit her second of four 3-pointers with 6:25 left in the first half to give USF a 26-23 lead. That started a 13-2 run, and the Bulls led the rest of the way.
FSU 78, ST. MARY'S 57: Shinikki Whiting had a career-high 27 points and senior April Traylor had her first career double double with 17 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for the Seminoles in the Paradise Jam Tournament in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The Seminoles shot 32 percent in the first half but led 34-33. They blew it open in the second, running off 16 straight points and holding the Gaels without a basket for the first 13 minutes.
MIAMI 71, IONA 52: Sophomore guard Hutashi Wilson scored a career-high 16 to lead the host Hurricanes in their season opener. Wilson added a career-high seven rebounds and three steals.
NAVY 75, JU 65: Bryanna Herring had a career-high 25 points and added eight rebounds for the visiting Midshipmen.
NO. 1 UCONN 69, NO. 3 VANDERBILT 50: Swin Cash had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the host Huskies won the preseason NIT. Cash scored all of her points in the first half and was named tournament MVP.
NO. 2 TENNESSEE 106, SOUTHERN CAL 66: Freshmen Shyra Ely scored 22 and Brittany Jackson had 14 as the Vols won their 200th game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
TOLEDO 71, NO. 5 DUKE 65: Tia Davis scored 20 and Melantha Herron 18 as the host Rockets beat a ranked team for the first time. Toledo, with four starters back from a team that won the Mid-American Conference last season, outscored the Blue Devils 15-2 in the first six minutes of the second half.
NO. 11 PURDUE 89, E. ILLINOIS 33: Shereka Wright scored 16 and Kelly Komara 14, and the host Boilermakers held the Panthers without a field goal for nearly 11 minutes in the second half.
NO. 15 NOTRE DAME 42, VALPARAISO 35: Freshman Teresa Borton had 14 points and nine rebounds as the Irish won their 39th straight home game.
NO. 16 GEORGIA 88, MAINE 57: Tawana McDonald scored 16 and the Bulldogs had a Stegemen Coliseum-record 13 blocks.
NO. 17 MICHIGAN 67, DETROIT 52: Leeann Bies scored 23 and freshman Tabitha Pool added 15 for the visiting Wolverines as coach Sue Guevara improved to 94-54, a school record for wins.
WISCONSIN 87, NO. 19 WASHINGTON 67: Jessie Stomski had 22 points and 13 rebounds for her 25th career double double to lead the host Badgers to the upset.
NO. 23 MARYLAND 82, LOYOLA (MD.) 51: Freshman reserve Anesia Smith scored 20 as the host Terrapins overcame a slow start.
NO. 25 UTAH 77, BUTLER 54: Lauren Beckman had her second straight double double with 22 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Utes in the Gopher Basketball Classic at Minneapolis.