No one in Tampa Bay saw the USF women’s basketball team win its first NCAA Tournament game in program history. A dust storm in Lubbock, Texas knocked out ESPN’s feed of the game and fans missed a late three-pointer from Inga Orekhova and clutch free throws in the 71-70 upset of the No. 7 Texas Tech Lady Raiders.
Orekhova scored a team-high 20 points for the Bulls. She knocked down five three-pointers on nine attempts. She finished the night with four rebounds and was three of six from the free throw line.
The game was a de-facto home game for the Lady Raiders, who play their home games in Lubbock at the United Spirit Arena where the first round game was played.
The first round matchup was only the Bulls’ second tournament game in the program’s history. The first was back in 2006. As a No. 9 seed, the Bulls lost 67-65 to the University of Southern California.
The Bulls will play Monday night against second-seeded California. The Golden Bears had no trouble in the first round against 15th seed Fresno State, wining 90-76. The game will be on ESPN2 with the winner moving on to play in the Sweet 16 regional semi-finals in Spokane, Wash.
Mike Hopey is the Managing Editor of The Crow’s Nest. He can be reached at hopey@mail.usf.edu.
