The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
USF
Women's Basketball Falls At South Florida 73-64
1/6/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2002
TAMPA, Fla. - Sonia Cotton had 16 points, Alana Tanksley and Dione Smith each posted 13 points apiece and Aiya Shepard scored 12 to help lift South Florida (11-3, 1-0 Conference USA) to a 73-64 victory over UAB (8-6, 0-1 C-USA) in Conference USA women's basketball action this afternoon at the Sun Dome.
The Bulls held UAB to 36.2 percent shooting from the floor and did not allow the Lady Blazers a three-point basket.
Natasha Thomas led both teams in scoring, posting 25 points along with 14 rebounds for the Lady Blazers. It marked her 10th double-double of the season.
Michelle Smith posted her first double-double of the season for UAB, scoring 11 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
The Bulls led by as many as 17 in the second half, but UAB was able to come within five points twice, the final time coming at the 4:30 mark.
The Bulls used a 10-0 run early in the first half to jump out to a 19-6 advantage. South Florida extended the lead to 25-8 before UAB used a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 10. The Lady Blazers had the same run, starting at the 7:24 mark of the first half and again cut into the Bulls lead, decreasing it to five. South Florida increased the lead to nine and led 42-33 at the half.
Thomas had 20 first half points to lead all scorers. She went 9-11 from the field and was 2-2 from the free throw line in the first half.
UAB returns home to Bartow Arena Friday to face C-USA rival DePaul at 7 p.m.
