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ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (Nov. 29, 2014) – Having already faced one national Top 10 opponent in its only loss of the year heading into Saturday, USF women's basketball nearly toppled its second Top 10 foe.

The Bulls (5-2 overall) led No. 9/10 Kentucky through the first 33 minutes of the Paradise Jam Championship game late Saturday night, and were tied with the Wildcats in the final minute, only to see an upset opportunity slip through their fingers in a 61-57 loss, USF's second of the year – both to Top 10 teams.

Having opened the Paradise Jam tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands with two quality wins against Oklahoma and Illinois, USF appeared poised to make a clean sweep of the tournament on its way to another Top 25 ranking. The Bulls came out of the gates strong against the Wildcats, jumping out to a 21-12 lead in the first 10 minutes, thanks to 10 quick points on 5-8 shooting from junior Courtney Williams.

USF did not trail in the first half, leading from the first basket at 19:14, and not giving up so much as a tie to Kentucky until 6:25 remained in the second half. Senior guard Tamara Taylor helped spell Williams offensively in the first half, knocking down a pair of three pointers and a jumper for eight points, as the Bulls outshot Kentucky .382-.333 from the floor and carried a 29-26 lead into halftime.

Holding serve in the first ten minutes of the second half, the Bulls found a good mix of scorers to extend the lead to six, at 45-41 with yet another statement win in their sights. Instead, the next seven field goal attempts for the Bulls refused to go through the net, as USF scored eight points, all on free throws, over the next eight minutes.

Kentucky took advantage, tying the game at 49 with 6:25 remaining, and building as much as a four-point lead before a pair of free throws from junior Shavontae Naylor paired up with Williams' right-wing jumper, ending the field goal drought and tying the game at 55 with 1:35 remaining.

The teams traded an empty possession, and on Kentucky's second try to break the tie, the Wildcats found room for a tough layup, taking the lead one final time with 33 seconds left on the clock. USF's answer fell just short on the other end, allowing Kentucky to edge out the Bulls and win the Paradise Jam Reef Division Championship.

Williams' 23 points ended up making her the Bulls' only double-digit point scorer of the night. The junior was named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team for her strong efforts in all three games.

Naylor led the team in rebounding, corralling six boards in 18 minutes, while adding six points for USF. Walking around in a protective boot whenever the Bulls weren't playing this trip, sophomore center Katelyn Weber played just 11 minutes on the third day of back-to-back-to-back games, continuing her climb back to 100 percent after a toe injury.

Kentucky out-rebounded USF 44-38, and held USF to shooting just .294 from the floor in the second half, enough to squeak out the win Saturday. USF returns home for a Wednesday night matchup with Stetson in the USF Sun Dome, at 7 p.m. The game will kick off a four-game homestand, in which the Bulls also face St. John's (NY), College of Charleston and Northern Colorado prior to Christmas.