BAYAMÓN, P.R. - Under the warm Caribbean sun, the USF Cougars dominated their matchup against Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras with a commanding 73-31 victory.

1ST QUARTER

Alexis Rose opened the scoring for the Cougars with an aggressive baseline drive, converting one of two from the foul line. The Cougars' defense showed early intensity, forcing multiple turnovers, though points were hard to come by until Ayla Brown rejected a ball screen and exploded past her defender for a layup. Rose quickly followed with a transition bucket off a feed in transition, pushing the lead to 5-2 before Rio Piedras headed to the line.

After Rio Piedras briefly took the lead, Anna Vaaler snapped the Cougars' cold spell with a pull-up jumper, putting USF back ahead 7-6. With the three-point shots not falling, the Cougars adjusted their strategy, finding Kami Wadsworth inside who drew contact and calmly sank both free throws. Brown then showcased her defensive prowess, picking off a pass and taking it coast-to-coast for an easy layup.

Wadsworth began to assert her dominance in the paint, converting an inside look before earning another trip to the line where she knocked down both attempts, extending the lead to 15-6. Not done yet, Wadsworth attacked from the short corner for one final basket, capping off a remarkable 12-0 run to end the quarter with the Cougars up 17-6.

2ND QUARTER

After Rio Piedras connected from beyond the arc, Madison Wuebben answered with a three-pointer of her own as the shot clock expired. The Cougars' offensive execution shined as Brown threaded a perfect pass to Wadsworth rolling to the basket for another score. Though turnovers prevented USF from fully breaking the game open, Wadsworth showed her playmaking ability when double-teamed, finding Fannin for a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 25-9 and forced a Rio Piedras timeout.

The Cougars maintained their momentum as Rose executed a textbook give-and-go along the baseline for an easy bucket. Vaaler then showcased her end-to-end game, grabbing a defensive rebound and pushing the ball in transition, drawing contact and converting both free throws. The swift pace continued with Phipps finding Vaaler streaking down the court for another quick score. The half ended with a flourish as the Harpe sisters connected, Brooklyn finding Hannah for a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining to give the Cougars a commanding 34-12 lead.

3RD QUARTER

The Cougars picked up right where they left off, with Brown converting in transition off a pinpoint feed from Rose. Rose quickly followed with a three-pointer of her own. The hot shooting continued as Phipps connected with Wadsworth, who stepped outside her paint dominance to drain a triple from deep.

USF's defensive pressure remained relentless, forcing multiple turnovers early in the period. Phipps showcased her off-ball movement with a sharp baseline cut, establishing perfect position for an inside score. Against Rio Piedras zone defense, Vaaler stepped well behind the arc and confidently knocked down a deep three, extending the lead to 47-16 with just over five minutes remaining.

The Cougars' bench maintained the intensity as Brecli Honner found Gracie Traphagen cutting beneath the basket, drawing contact and converting one from the line. Traphagen wasn't done, later spotting up in front of the bench to drill a three-pointer, helping USF close the quarter with a commanding 51-22 advantage.

4TH QUARTER

Wilson set the tone early with a power move through contact.  She remained aggressive, racing ahead in transition to draw a foul and sank both free throws. The Cougars' perimeter game stayed sharp as Honner found Wuebben in the corner for a three, pushing the lead to 58-22. Brooklyn Harpe then attacked the defense, drawing contact and calmly sinking both free throws before connecting with her sister Hannah Harpe on a well-executed cut to the rim.
 
Brooklyn Harpe continued her baseline activity, converting a smooth reverse layup off Traphagen's feed before finishing in transition on a pass from Drew Buslee. Buslee then took control of the offense, first finding Traphagen rolling to the basket for a layup before connecting with her again beyond the arc to extend the lead to 71-27. Wilson provided the exclamation point, slashing baseline for the Cougars' final bucket in their decisive 73-31 victory.
 

Key Team Stats

• Points Off Turnovers: The Cougars took advantage of their steals, turning the 16 turnovers into 21 points.
• Bench Points: 44 of the teams points came from contributors off the bench.
• Points in the Paint: USF held a 34-10 advantage inside.
• Rebounding: The Cougars kept Rio Piedras off the glass the whole evening, outrebounding them 53-24.

Key Coo

• Kami Wadsworth: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
• Gracie Traphagen: 9 points, 6 rebounds
• Anna Vaaler: 9 points, 5 rebounds
• Alexis Rose: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

 

Up Next

Keeping in Puerto Rico, the Cougars face off against the Catholic University of Puerto Rico Monday, November 25^th at 10:00am (ct).

 
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