The Bulls got serious for Big East play and it showed Tuesday night.

Jasmine Wynne posted a team-high 16 points, Kaneisha Saunders added 13 and the USF women's basketball team opened conference play with a 58-55 victory at Cincinnati.

USF improved to 9-6 after splitting a pair of games at the Saint Peter's Holiday Classic in New Jersey. The team's ability to focus on a new chapter of the season quickly was beneficial in the process.

“I was just really proud of our guys,” head coach Jose Fernandez said. “They came back from New Jersey with a commitment to work harder and make every possession count, and I think we did that.”

The Bulls trailed, 36-29, early in the second half before going on a 12-0 run to seize the advantage. They kept the lead the rest of the way despite Cincinnati (9-6, 0-2) making the final margin close thanks to a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left by Alyesha Lovett.

USF held the Bearcats to 34 percent from the field during a pivotal second half and scored nine points off Bearcat turnovers. 

 “I felt we did a good job defensively in the second half,” Fernandez said.

Shalethia Stringfield gave USF a big boost with eight points, while Wynne notched her 11th straight game in double digits.

“She's a leader in the locker room and on the floor, everybody trusts her,” Fernandez said. “Defensively she's always there.”

Like Fernandez, Wynne also credited the team's effort in the gym to helping USF start off Big East play in a winning manner.

“Everyone in practice is going hard, being competitive towards each other and it's just carrying over into the game,” she said.

USF looks to stay perfect in conference play when it hosts Georgetown 7 p.m. Saturday at the USF Recreation Center.

“It's good to get this one and now we get to come home,” Fernandez said.