The USF women's basketball team rode a 31-3 first half scoring spree and good scoring balance to an easy 87-56 victory over Mayville State on Tuesday night.

The Cougars (17-3) are 6-1 at home this season and 5-1 overall against the Comets since 2002.

"I'm real happy with all-around effort," head coach Travis Traphagen said. "It was one of our lower-output nights, in terms of three pointers, and give credit to Mayville for applying the pressure out there. One term we've stressed this season is balance, inside and outside and I think we really hit the mark tonight."

USF shot a blistering 55 percent (33-60) and outhustled Mayville State (14-10) on the glass, out-rebounding the Comets 39-21. The rebounding disparity allowed USF to outscore Mayville 44-12 in the paint. 

The Cougars also turned 12 offensive boards into 17 second chance points and forced the Comets into 20 turnovers.

Every player on the Cougars' roster logged playing time and all but two dented the scoring column. 

USF knocked down six three-pointers and converted 15 of 20 free throw attempts.

Bailey Bouman led the offensive charge with 17 points off the bench. Laura Johnson had 16 points and was also the Cougars' standout performer on the boards, notching a game-high nine rebounds. Jamey Hofer chipped in 13 points and was near perfect, going 5-of-5 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the stripe.

"I'm so proud of Bailey," Traphagen said. "I always stress footwork and stepping into shots; Bailey has such a pure stroke but she's struggled with her footwork in a couple games this year. She was very consistent tonight and when the ball came her way, she stepped right in and knocked down a bunch of big shots."

"We're a better basketball team when she can provide that lift off the bench," he added.   

The game was close early and USF led Mayville by a just a bucket, 17-15, halfway through the first half. A jumper by Bouman put the Cougars up 19-15 and ignited a 31-3 scoring spree that turned the game into a full-fledged rout. Bouman capped the first-half blitz with a long jumper that ballooned the Cougars' lead at intermission to 48-18.

USF continued to torch the nets after the break, shooting 16-of-31 and Mayville was unable to cut its second-half deficit to less than 26 points. The Cougars led by as many as 36 but would settle for the 87-56 verdict.

Next up for USF is a two-game road trip to the Black Hills. The Cougars will face the SDSMT Lady 'Rockers on Friday (5:30 p.m.) and close out the weekend on Saturday against Black Hills State (4:00 p.m.)