USF’s Dream is Schimmel-ed

Jude Schimmel (22) carried the Cards in crunch-time (photo USA TODAY Sports / Aaron Doster)

Tampa, Fla. —  If you look at the boxscore you will see Louisville senior guard Jude Schimmel closed tonight’s NCAA second round tournament game with team highs in;  points (13), rebounds (six), assists (5) and minutes (37).   What you won’t see is that eight of Schimmel’s 13 points were in the last 2:59 of the game after the Cardinals gave up the lead for the first time all night.

It all started  just after the USF Bulls took their first and only lead of the game with 5:06 left when Alisia Jenkins hit a lay up to make the score 47-46 sending the Sundome crowd in a deafening frenzy.

Now dare I say Schimmel-time?

Yes I will, Schimmel-time.  With 4:17 USF star Courtney Williams, who finished with a game high 25 points,  could not get a triple to go down, rebound Schimmel.  After a Louisville non- conversion on the offense end, USF’s Tamara Taylor misses, rebound Schimmel.  Taylor then fouls Schimmel which takes the game to the inside four media timeout at 3:22, with USF still leading 47-46.

After  Sara Hammond of Louisville misses a lay up, Jude Schimmel lays it in to give the Cards of Louisville a 48-47 point lead,  a lead the Cardinals would not relinquish.

Louisville’s Jude Schimmel here is unable to stop USF’s Courtney Williams (10)  as she goes up for two of her game high 25 points.  USF has plenty to look forward to as Williams a junior,  will be back next year.  (photo USA TODAY Sports / Aaron Doster)

Jude Schimmel  knocks down a medium range jumper with 1:09 left and  four from the charity stripe in the final 39 seconds to close out a 60-52 “W” which locked up a sweet sixteen dance date with the Dayton Flyers on Saturday in Albany.   And for good measure, Jude Schimmel grabbed the last board of the game as time expired off a Laura Ferreira missed three pointer.

And that’s when Cinderella left the Sundome.  The fairy-tale USF Bulls with blue skies and yellow brick road dreams of hosting, and playing in the Final Four in Tampa were dashed in minutes at the hands of a stoic Louisville senior from Mission, Oregon who only at 5’6″stood as tall a redwood tonight.  The Bulls fought hard up to the final whistle but were just gassed from expanding the energy to overcome a Louisville seven point lead in about three and half minutes.

After the game, “They (Louisville) closed it out,” said a disappointed  USF head coach Jose Fernandez.  But you could feel that all in the post game press room knew what a great year USF  had. Jose Fernandez has lead  this program to a spot on the proverbial map in NCAA Women’s Basketball. Fernandez added, “Down the stretch we got some good looks and didn’t make some good decisions, but that doesn’t take away from the type of year this team had… We had a remarkable year.”  Yes Coach Fernandez, it was remarkable and most importantly it gives USF alumni and fans hope moving forward to next year and a benchmark for all USF athletic teams,  men and women,  to set goals.

NAME	POS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	ST	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
SARA HAMMOND	f	28	2-11	0-0	0-0	2	4	4	2	5	0	4	4
MYISHA HINES-ALLEN	f	27	6-15	0-1	0-0	2	5	0	0	1	0	3	12
MARIYA MOORE	f	35	3-8	2-5	3-4	2	4	1	2	0	2	2	11
JUDE SCHIMMEL	g	37	4-12	1-4	4-4	1	6	5	2	0	2	1	13
SHERONNE VAILS	c	8	1-3	0-0	0-0	3	5	0	0	0	0	1	2
ARICA CARTER		17	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	3	1	0	0	2	1	0
SHAWNTA’ DYER		21	4-8	1-1	1-2	2	4	0	0	1	2	1	10
EMMONNIE HENDERSON		4	0-4	0-0	2-2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2
BRIA SMITH		23	2-5	0-0	2-2	3	5	2	2	0	2	4	6
TOTAL			22-66	4-11	12-14	20	45	13	8	7	11	17	60
			33.30%	36.40%	85.70%