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American Athletic Conference Tournament Central
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UNCASVILLE, CONN., MARCH 8, 2015 – A record-setting performance from Alisia Jenkins and late-game heroics out of Courtney Williams propelled USF past Tulane Sunday night, and into the American Athletic Conference Championship game Monday.

Jenkins set a new USF single-season rebounding record, pulling down fifteen as the Bulls (26-6 overall) used four double-digit efforts to push past Tulane 78-69 Saturday advancing to a conference championship for the first time in school history.

Seven consecutive points from Courtney Williams nullified a late-game run by the Green Wave (22-10), as USF's junior scorer turned a 61-61 tie into a 68-63 lead in a matter of two minutes late in the game. The Bulls extended the lead further on a big three-point play from Jenkins, and iced the game at the free throw line.

Jenkins started out of the gate hot for the second consecutive day, putting 10 quick points on the board. Tulane tried slowing the Bulls' offense down with a zone, but USF's bench came on strong early, scoring 11 quick points with the help of three-pointers from Tamara Taylor and Shalethia Stringfield to open up the lane.

Williams scored an efficient eight points in the first half, including a scoop-and-score at the end of the period to send USF into the locker room with a 34-29 lead.

The Bulls extended that lead to as much as 11 early in the half, getting good offensive output from Jenkins, whose 22 points led the way for a second consecutive night, and Williams, who recorded her 19th 20-point game of the season.

Stringfield and Taylor both played well down the stretch, Stringfield finishing the day with 11 points and six assists, while Taylor dropped 10.

Tulane rallied back from an 11-point deficit to tie the game with five minutes to go on the back of Danielle Blagg's hot hand, but Williams' shot-clock beating three with four minutes remaining pushed momentum back in USF's favor for the final time. As of today, Tulane was listed on the right side of Charlie Creme's ESPN Bracketology bubble, and will have a good chance to be The American's third representative in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulls face No. 1 UConn Monday at 7 p.m. on ESPN for the title, matching up with the Huskies for the second time in eight days.

 NOTEABLE:
- Wanda Guyton's single season rebounding record of 377 stood for more than 25 years until tonight, when Jenkins grabbed her 378th of the season midway through the second half. Jenkins is just 134 rebounds from breaking Guyton's career record of 1,077.

- Alisia Jenkins recorded her 23rd double-double of the season, moving into a tie for the third-most double-doubles in the nation.

- Courtney Williams moved up the ranks into sixth all-time on USF's career scoring list, tying Ginger Bennett with 1,483 career points. Next on the list is Mary Klinewski's 1,510.

- Williams' 652 points this season is the second-most in school history, just 30 points from Jessica Dickson's single season record of 682.

- The Bulls are now 33-0 in the last two years when scoring at least 71 points.

- The win against Tulane gave USF six Top-50 wins this season.

- Charlie Creme's Bracketology today projected USF to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, opposite Louisville. The official bracket will be announce one week from Monday.