Special to GoUSFBulls.com
By Ky-Shon Hepburn

TAMPA - USF let its defense create offense to help seal a 70-48 win over Stetson in its home opener on Saturday.

"From the beginning of the game to the end of the game, our whole motive was to work,” senior guard Andrea Smith said.

Smith scored her first points in two years on free throws. The senior guard saw her first game action after recovering from a knee injury that forced her to miss all of last season.

“It felt really good to be out there and do something that you have been missing,” said Smith.

The Bulls trailed early in the opening half, but were able to take a one-point lead into the break.  USF led at the half despite shooting 27 percent from the field. 

The Bulls' defense was dominate in the second half.

The defense held the Hatters to 15.4 percent shooting.  USF also out-rebounded Stetson 60-35, with the help of a career-high 13 rebounds from senior forward Tahira Johnson.

“I thought she was very aggressive,” head coach Jose Fernandez said.  “She was relentless going to the glass.”

The Bulls finished the game on a 33-10 run to help give them their largest lead of the night and put the game away. 

USF will be back in action Tuesday night when it faces Clemson in South Carolina at 7 p.m.

“It's good to start the season with a win, but it'll be a good test to get on the road and play an ACC team,” Fernandez said.