USF women roll past Waldorf in home opener

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (USF) — The Cougars women's basketball team put on a show Tuesday night, defeating Waldorf University 87-58 in their first home game at the Stewart Center this season. Twelve different Cougars scored in the game, highlighting their depth and offensive balance.

Sioux Falls came out strong after winning the tip, with Alexis Rose draining a three-pointer on their first possession. Rose later scored in transition on a fast break, finishing a layup with an assist from Ayla Brown . Rose then returned the favor, assisting on Brown's three-pointer to give the Cougars an early 8-3 lead. After a few baskets and free throws allowed Waldorf to take a 9-8 lead, Rose kept her hot streak alive, sinking two more threes to help build a 14-12 lead, forcing a Waldorf timeout.

Out of the timeout, Kami Wadsworth , Madison Wuebben , and Brecli Honner each hit a three-pointer on consecutive possessions, extending the Cougars' lead to 23-14—a lead they wouldn't relinquish. In the final seconds of the quarter, Wadsworth broke free under the basket, and Landree Wilson found her for the score, giving USF a 25-16 lead after the first quarter.

The second quarter started strong for Waldorf with a quick 4-0 run, but Honner answered with two free throws. Wadsworth scored the next six points for the Cougars, helping to maintain a 33-24 lead. Gracie Traphagen scored a layup, followed by Wuebben's second three-pointer of the game. A layup and some free throws from Aby Phipps pushed the Cougars' lead to 42-26. Anna Vaaler connected on a layup, Wuebben nailed another three, and Vaaler capped the quarter with another three-pointer, sending USF to the locker room with a comfortable 50-30 lead.

Phipps helped the Cougars get rolling in the second half with a layup at the rim. In some back-and-forth action, Brown, Phipps, and Wadsworth kept the Cougar lead steady at 58-36. Vaaler added to the lead after the media timeout with free throws and a layup. Honner and Brown rounded out the scoring for the quarter with two-point baskets, sending USF into the final period with a 66-40 lead.

The Cougars came out strong in the fourth quarter, sparking a 7-0 run with Megan Fannin's three-pointer and layups from Brown and Honner. This extended their lead to 73-40, their largest of the night. Fannin wasn't done, adding another bucket, followed closely by Brooklyn Harpe's first points of the game in the paint. Back-to-back layups from Hannah Harpe and Wilson kept the Cougars up 83-54. Traphagen and Brooklyn Harpe put the final touches on the win with late baskets, as USF sealed the 87-58 victory.

TEAM STATISTICS

Total Points: 87 points, with 25 points in both the first and second quarters.

Field Goal Shooting: 34-71 (47.9%), including 11-27 from three-point range (40.7%).

Rebounding: Dominated the boards with 44 total rebounds (17 offensive, 27 defensive).

Assists and Ball Movement: 24 assists from the team (Brown, Minsaas, Fannin all with 5 each).

Turnover Control: Limited to just 10 turnovers, while forcing 17 turnovers from Waldorf.

KEY COO

Alexis Rose : 11 points, 3-4 three-pointers, 3 assists.

Ayla Brown : 9 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals.

Brecli Honner : 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block.

Kami Wadsworth : 13 points, 2 offensive rebounds, perfect from the free-throw line (2-2).

Madison Wuebben : 9 points, 3-3 from three-point range, 1 assist.

Up Next

The Cougars will travel over to Rapid City this weekend to take on South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State in the East/West Challenge. The first game is Friday at 4:30pm (ct) against South Dakota Mines and they wrap-up Saturday at 5:00pm (ct) against Black Hills State.