The USF women’s basketball team opened up their season with a win over UNC Greensboro, winning 64-40 on Nov. 5 at the War Memorial. Sophomore guard Candy Edokpaigbe led the way, scoring a collegiate career high 26 points. The Seattle University transfer also accumulated seven rebounds and two blocks en route to the 24-point victory.
The Dons began the game on target in the first quarter, shooting 9-13 from the field and claiming a 22-15 lead. They tightened up their defense in the second quarter, forcing UNC to take late shot clock attempts, which led to an abundance of fastbreak opportunities. They closed out the half on an 11-3 run.
The ball movement picked up in the second half, with the Dons having several possessions showcasing beautiful passing to open finishes. In the opening minute, guard Mara Neira found a running Edokpaigbe on the fastbreak for an easy right-handed lay-in. A minute later, in the half-court set, first-year forward Nataša Taušová threw a right-side pass from the top of the arc to a cutting Meghan McIntyre, who then dished it inside the paint to a cutting Nevaeh Ferrara Horne, resulting in an open basket.
Grad student McIntyre had a strong debut for the Dons, scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 boards and collecting seven assists. The guard threw several dimes to Edokpaigbe and even converted a tough left-handed drive to close the third, in which the team led 50-38.
The team continued to widen the margin in the final quarter, with Edokpaigbe knocking down her lone three-pointer of the game in the opening minute. McIntyre continued to facilitate and even had a coast-to-coast finish with the left-hand. At the time the clock ran out, USF won comfortably in their home opener.
“Our players, all 11 new players that we have, and five freshmen, were really, really excited to play,” Head Coach Molly Goodenbour said in the post-game interview. “They were looking forward to a game and being done with practice for a while. I wasn’t sure how that would translate. Really, this year everything we do is new because we just don’t have anybody in the program [previously] other than Paula [Tirado] and Sol [Castro].”
Speaking on Ediokpaigbe’s debut, Goodenbour said, “Candy’s awesome. She’s probably the most athletic player that I’ve ever coached at her position. […] She’s an ultra-competitive person and player. Her attacking the rim, which she’s already good at. If we can add a shot to that, I mean, for her, really, the sky’s the limit.”
Reflecting on her own performance, Ediokpaigbe said, “I just played basketball. My teammates put me in a position to play basketball. So I just have to thank them.”
Following their opening victory, the team traveled to Boise, Idaho to play Boise State for their second match of the season, losing 68-83. The Dons kept the game rather close, only being down six points entering the fourth, but a 26-point burst by Boise stopped any chance at a comeback attempt.
Heading back to the bay, USF will embark on a five-game homestand starting Nov. 14 against Seton Hall and then UC San Diego on Nov. 16.
