HARTFORD, Conn. -The University of South Florida women's basketball team arrived in Hartford for the BIG EAST Conference Championships this week looking to continue its winning play that it has enjoyed over the past two weeks. USF, a No. 13 seed in the tourney, came into the event looking to extend its winning streak to three games in its first round game against Pittsburgh.

The Bulls, however, could not keep their winning ways going as the No. 12 seeded Panthers handed USF a 63-60 loss snapping its short two game winning streak and ending its season. The Bulls finish the year with a 12-19 record.

Andrell Smith and Kaneisha Saunders led the way with 17 points apiece for the Bulls while Leondra Doomes-Stephens added 13 points in the loss.

USF would receive quite a blow in the first minute of the game when leading scorer and All-BIG EAST Conference selection Andrea Smith went down with a left knee injury driving down the left side of the lane just 52 seconds into the contest. She would not return, after being helped off the court the extent of her injury will not be known until she undergoes an MRI later Friday.

Following Smith's injury the Bulls would find themselves in a funk as Pittsburgh (14-16)  got to double digits for the first time on a Jania Sims three-pointer with 8:30 left in the half making the score 19-8 Pittsburgh.

The Panthers would push to their lead to as many as 14 points, 26-12, their largest advantage of the first stanza, on a Leeza Burgess lay-up with 5:35 left before the break.

Pittsburgh would eventually take a 34-22 lead into locker room at the intermission.

The Panthers would come out in the second half and push the lead - albeit slightly - to what would be a game-high 15 points, with 18:18 left in the contest, on a Taneisha Harrison three-pointer before the light seemed to come on for USF.

Following Harrison's trey, the Bulls would proceed to go on a 21-9 run capped by a Doomes-Stephens three-pointer of her own with 7:13 left cutting the Pittsburgh to three, 49-46.

Then on the next Panthers' possession, Saunders, in her first game back after missing 10 games with a severe groin injury, forced a Pittsburgh turnover and found Smith, who dished it back to Saunders for a lay-up getting the Bulls to within one, 49-48, with 6:36 left.

After exchanging baskets for the next five-plus minutes, USF would finally take just its second lead of the afternoon when Doomes-Stephens connected on back-to-back free throws with 49 seconds left in the game giving the Bulls a 60-59 advantage.

Chelsea Cole, however, would hit a driving lay-up the next time down the court putting the Panthers up for good, 61-60, with 28 seconds left.

After a Saunders missed jumper and two made free throws by Pittsburgh, USF had two opportunities to tie the game in the final five seconds but both shots missed.