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STATE COLLEGE, PA., (Dec. 21, 2014) – A dominant effort on the boards and a big second half from junior guard Courtney Williams propelled the USF women's basketball team past a much bigger Penn State team in the non-conference finale Sunday.

The Bulls (9-3 overall) used just one player taller than 6'1” against a Nittany Lion squad that played five players with heights ranging from 6'2” to 6'6”, but out-rebounded Penn State en route to a big 90-87 overtime win to cap an incredibly-difficult 9-3 non-conference schedule.

Junior forward Alisia Jenkins carried the Bulls through a tough first half, registering her eighth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds to help USF lead for 19 minutes of a 20-minute half.

With 26 first-half fouls called, both teams made multiple trips to the free throw line, the Bulls cashing in on 10 of their 14 opportunities, while Penn State made 12 of 21 free throw chances. With starters Tamara Taylor, Maria Jespersen and Laura Marcos Canedo on the bench in foul trouble, Penn State hit a game-tying three-pointer in the closing seconds, sending teams to the locker room tied 37-37 after 20 minutes.

After a quiet first half, junior guard Courtney Williams got hot early in the second, scoring the Bulls' first four points and helping USF to a 6-0 run to start the second half. Williams shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half, knocking down eight shots in a 22-point second half, hitting shots that either tied the game or gave USF the lead six different times down the stretch in the second half.

With 24 seconds remaining in regulation in a tie game, Williams stole the ball on the perimeter and drove it down the court, missing a contested layup but leaving the ball on the rim for Jenkins, whose tip-in gave USF a 77-75 lead with 19 seconds remaining. Penn State returned fire on the other end of the court with 12 seconds remaining, sending USF to its first overtime game since the 2012-13 NCAA second round game against California.

Seven lead changes in overtime saw USF finally take control in the final 41 seconds, as four free throws from Jenkins and Williams put the Bulls back on top for good, sending USF home with the 90-87 win.

Williams' 34 points led all scorers, and the junior added 11 rebounds, second only to Jenkins. Jenkins recorded the first 20-point 20-rebound game in USF history since 1990, pulling down a career-high 21 rebounds to go with 23 points. The overtime win was head coach Jose Fernandez's 18th in 24 chances.

Adding Penn State to the group, the Bulls' 9-3 record includes wins over Oklahoma, Chattanooga, Illinois, Villanova, Stetson and Northern Colorado. USF returns home and to action Dec. 28, hosting East Carolina in the conference opener.