ORLANDO, FEB. 18, 2018 – Kitija Laksa and Maria Jespersen combined for 53 points Sunday in an overtime thriller at UCF. The Bulls swept the series against the Knights after a 77-68 win at CFE Arena. USF claimed all six points in the War on I-4 series.
 
USF (22-5, 11-2 The American) clinched its seventh straight victory in dramatic fashion. The Bulls gained a two-game cushion over third place UCF (17-9, 9-4 The American) in American Athletic Conference standings.
 
With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) sunk a three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 57. In the next possession, Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) gave the Bulls a three-point lead, their first since UCF went on an 11-0 run earlier in the quarter. The Knights tied the game with 11 seconds left, forcing the Bulls' into overtime.
 
The extra period belonged to the Bulls. USF shot 60 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long range in final five minutes. Laia Flores (Mataro, Spain) scored five of her eight points in overtime, including a dagger with one minute to play.
 
Laksa finished with a game-high 32 points and Jespersen followed with 21. Jespersen grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds in her 15^th double-double this season. Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) had a solid outing with eight points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Key Stats
15 – USF scored 15 points in overtime and held UCF to just six points.
3 – The Bulls defense forced three UCF turnovers in overtime.

Notable

• The Bulls have won seven-straight games, their longest streak of the year.
• USF remains perfect against the Knights in Orlando since 1980. The Bulls improved their series record to 27-9. USF has won 21 of the last 22 meetings.  
• Kitija Laksa has netted four 30-point outings this season, 11 in her career.  
• USF improved to 8-2 on the road this season.
• USF has outrebounded its opponents in its last seven outings.

 
Up Next
USF will return to the Sun Dome Wednesday when it hosts Houston at 7 p.m.  
 
About USF Women's Basketball
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USF notched its sixth consecutive 20-win season in an 84-65 romp of No. 13 Ohio State. This is the ninth 20-win season in program history and head coach Jose Fernandez has been at the helm for all nine 20-win seasons. The 2014-15 team holds the record for most wins in a season (27).
 
USF has made 13 postseason tournament appearances and had five NCAA Tournament berths in Head Coach Jose Fernandez's 17 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to eight 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 300 games.
 
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