While ankle injuries of varying degrees recently have slowed USF's two most prominent starters, Shalethia Stringfield has emerged as the Bulls' most prominent closer.
The Bulls' senior backup point guard scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the fourth period Sunday to help her 19th-ranked team (12-4, 5-1 American Athletic Conference) hold off East Carolina, 75-54. The effort came four days after Stringfield hit a go-ahead jumper with three seconds to play in a 71-67 victory at Tulane.
"Every time Shalethia enters the game, we feel secure," sophomore wing Laura Ferreira said.
Presumably feeling less secure, at least at the outset, was the announced Sun Dome crowd of 2,101.