Late three-pointer lifts South Florida

NASSAU, Bahamas — South Florida Coach Jose Fernandez had total faith that Sydni Harvey would hit the game-winning shot when he drew up the final play in a timeout.

The junior guard hit a three-pointer from the wing with 2.8 seconds left, sending No. 18 South Florida to a 57-54 win over seventh-ranked Stanford in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship tournament on Friday.

With a flight home shortly after the game, Fernandez was going for the victory instead of trying to force overtime.

Led by Harvey’s 15 points, South Florida posted its second victory over a top-10 opponent this week and only the third overall for the program.

South Florida’s Bethy Mununga matched a career high with 23 rebounds, to go along with six points.

In other Top 25 women’s games Friday, Aliyah Boston scored 12 points and blocked three shots, and No. 1 South Carolina beat Elon 79-38 in Columbia, S.C. … NaLyssa Smith scored 17 points with 12 rebounds and No. 6 Baylor beat Arizona State 62-52 in the Cancun Challenge.… Cate Reese scored 19 points and No. 9 Arizona outlasted DePaul 75-68 in the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam tournament. … Keyen Green scored seven of her 11 points in the fourth quarter as the No. 11-ranked Tennessee broke away from Kansas 68-58 at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. … Ashley Joens had 27 points and 15 rebounds as No. 13 Iowa State jumped out to a big lead and cruised past Charlotte 75-59 in the first round of the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. Joens sank 5 of 11 shots from three-point range for the Cyclones (5-0). … Lindsey Thall scored 20 points, Casey Santoro made 7 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final 1:16 and Kent State beat No. 19 UCLA 75-69 at the Gulf Coast Showcase. … Jasmine Franklin (Fayetteville) scored 21 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and went 9 of 10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to lead Missouri State past No. 24 Virginia Tech 76-68 at the San Juan Shootout. Abigayle Jackson (Little Rock Central) scored a career-high 18 points 16 for Missouri State (4-1). … Kierstan Bell, the nation’s leading scorer, poured in a season-high 39 points to lead Florida Gulf Coast past Tennessee Tech 81-69 in the San Juan Shootout.