By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA - A clutch performance against Rutgers has USF moving on in the Big East tournament and possibly much more.

Andrea Smith gave USF its first lead with 1:19 remaining and the Bulls held on for a 42-39 victory over the Scarlet Knights in the second round of the Big East tournament on Saturday in Hartford, Conn.

USF (21-9, 10-7) will face top-seeded Notre Dame 2 p.m. Sunday back at the XL Center after seizing a victory that very well could get the Bulls into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006. USF was in a must-win situation against Rutgers and came through big-time at the free throw line at the most crucial stretch in the game.

A Monique Oliver layup gave Rutgers a 39-34 lead with 4:49 remaining before USF closed with its first true run of the game. Smith's fifth free throw after Rutgers' final score put the Bulls ahead for the first time and Inga Orekhova came up with a steal with only two seconds left on the clock. The junior hit both of her free throw attempts and Rutgers' desperation attempt at a tie didn't come close.

Smith finished with a game-high 17 points and passed the 1,000-point mark as a Bull with her game-tying free throw. Orekhova was the other Bull in double figures with 12 points while the team shot 22 percent from the field.

Orekhova's steal capped off a stellar performance by USF's defense in the team's second win over Rutgers in the program's nine meetings. The Bulls forced a total of 25 turnovers while Oliver was the lone Scarlet Knight in double figures with 15 points.

The Bulls quickly shift their attention to a Notre Dame team they almost defeated in Tampa on Jan. 8. Smith scored 33 points in a 75-71 overtime loss to the No. 2 Irish.