JACKSONVILLE, DEC. 30, 2015 – Despite holding No. 8 Mississippi State scoreless for close to eight minutes in the final 15, the Bulls couldn't close the gap and overcome a 12-point halftime deficit in the Southeastern/American Athletic Conference Challenge. The Bulldogs defeated No. 20/17 USF 68-58 at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville Wednesday evening.
In their last non-conference match-up before the conference slate, and the last contest in 2015, the Bulls jumped out of the gate and sprinted to a 4-0 lead, holding one of the most efficient offenses scoreless for the first three and one half minutes of the game. USF appeared in control, but the Bulldogs frenzied defense limited USF and forced seven turnovers in the first quarter.
The second and third quarters kept the Bulldogs on pace to reach their season average of 82 points per game, but the fourth quarter belonged to the Bulls. Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) scored seven of her season high 19 points in the final 10 minutes. The sophomore sparked the Green and Gold scoring the team's first three-pointer of the game with just over five minutes to play. Junior Ariadna Pujol (Mataro, Spain) added five points in the final frame, helping the Bulls outscore Mississippi State 16 to six. USF held Mississippi State to its lowest single quarter score this season.
Ferreira's 19 points led the Bulls, and the Portugal native added five rebounds and a team best two steals. Alisia Jenkins (Statesboro, Ga.) collected her fifth double-double this season, tallying 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Courtney Williams (Folkston, Ga.) added 12 points and six rebounds while senior Shalethia Stringfield (Jacksonville, Fla.) chipped in a two points and a game-high three assists.
USF opens American Athletic Conference action Saturday at East Carolina University. The Bulls finished the 2014-15 league slate 15-3, two losses to UConn and one on the road at East Carolina. The Pirates slipped past the Bulls 65-64 in their last meeting. Sunday's match-up is slated for a 1 p.m. tip, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Jose Fernandez's 2015 women's basketball team returns all five starters, including All-American Candidate Courtney Williams, from a team that posted a 27-8 (15-3 American) record in 2014-15 and finished the season in the top 25 rankings. The squad finished second behind eventual NCAA champion UConn in the American Athletic Conference and made an exciting NCAA Tournament run that saw USF top LSU in front of 5,560 fans in the Sun Dome in the NCAA regional round.
In 2015-16, the Bulls will be hosting their toughest schedule yet, including the opening rounds of the Preseason WNIT, along with perennial powers Penn State, Chattanooga, Oklahoma State and UConn making trips to Tampa. Season tickets, starting at just $65, are available for purchase online at USFBullsTix.com, by phone at 1-800-GoBulls or in person at the Gate B ticket office of the Sun Dome, with single game tickets going on sale in late September.
USF has made 11 postseason tournament appearances and had three NCAA Tournament berths in Head Coach Jose Fernandez's 15 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to six 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 260 games.
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