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COLLEGE PARK, MD., NOV. 19, 2014 – Early fouls, nagging injuries and a red-hot start by No. 8/9 Maryland send the 25th-ranked USF women's basketball team into catch-up mode for the majority of the night Wednesday.

The Bulls (2-1 overall) got a combined 21 minutes from starters Laura Marcos Canedo and Katelyn Weber due to foot injuries against a physical Terrapins team in Maryland, falling behind 14-2 early and never catching up in USF's first loss of the season, 85-67.

Maryland shot an impressive 58 percent from the field in the first half, and dominated the paint, getting 28 of its 50 first-half points from inside early on, and getting USF's front court in trouble and off the floor.

Averaging nearly 38 minutes per game this season, junior forward Alisia Jenkins saw just 11 minutes of action in the first half, picking up three quick fouls as USF's limited post options drew eight of the team's 12 first-half fouls and fell behind 50-33 at the half.

Making adjustments in the second half, USF battled through its undersized issue, getting 11 great minutes from the 5-9 forward Shavontae Naylor. Naylor defended well in the post, and helped spark an 11-0 run midway through the second half, cutting Maryland's game-high 23-point lead to just 12 with 10:58 left on the clock.

Sophomore Ariadna Pujol kicked off the run with a long three-pointer from the corner, and the Bulls took off running from there. Jenkins stole an outlet pass for a layup on the next possession, followed by back-to-back buckets from junior Courtney Williams. Down 63-49, junior guard Shalethia Stringfield went coast-to-coast for a big contested layup, sending the Bulls to a 63-51 deficit and forcing the Terrapins to burn a timeout.

USF maintained the 12-point gap until the nine-minute mark, when Maryland's size and healthy depth in the post finally caught up to the Bulls. The Terps' 10-0 run sent the lead back to 22, allowing Maryland to move past the Bulls in the final five minutes.

Williams once again led USF offensively, scoring 16 points and adding eight rebounds and three assists in the loss. Jenkins contributed 12 points and five boards in limited minutes, while freshman Laura Ferreira became the first player not named Williams or Jenkins to score in double digits this season, notching 10 points on three 3-pointers.

USF returns home Saturday, opening its home season against UNC-Asheville in the Sun Dome at 2 p.m.