DATE/TIME: Sunday, Jan. 10/5 p.m.
OPPONENT: No. 1 UConn
LOCATION: Sun Dome, Tampa, Fla.
TV: ESPN
RADIO: News Talk Florida 820-AM | GoUSFBulls.com
GAME NOTES: USF | UConn
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PURCHASE TICKETS
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, JAN. 9, 2016 – No. 22/18 USF women's basketball is on a roll heading into a date that's been marked on Bulls fans' calendars since the season schedule was released.
USF (10-3, 3-0) puts its perfect home record on the line when it hosts top-ranked UConn 5 p.m. Sunday in a marquee matchup televised nationally on ESPN.
This will mark the first-ever regular season game between two ranked teams at the Sun Dome and it's a rematch of last season's American Athletic Conference Championship.
“They're the standard. They're the No. 1 team in the country and it's a great opportunity for us here on our home floor,” head coach Jose Fernandez said.
USF outscored UConn in the second half of its 84-70 title game loss last March and the Bulls have gained a lot of momentum since the NCAA tournament. USF has gone 9-0 at the Sun Dome this season and has won three straight heading into the showdown with the Huskies (13-0, 3-0).
“There are so many things that go into this type of game,” Fernandez said. “You've got to do all the right things. You've got to take care of the basketball. You've got to value every possession. You can't have live ball turnovers. You've got to take good shots. Every possession has to mean something when you're playing the best team in the country.”
Game Promotions
USF's in-game entertainment will take on a retro feel on 90's Night at the Sun Dome. Get there early because the first 1,000 fans will receive a free Bulls replica jersey.
Bulls in the Spotlight
- Freshman Kitija Laksa has scored 59 points in the past two games and poured in 38 points in Thursday's 83-56 win over SMU. The freshman forward from Latvia scored the second-most points in American Athletic Conference play and her eight 3-pointers rank second in USF's history books. Learn more about Laksa's show-stopping performance HERE.
- Senior guard Courtney Williams (Folkston, Ga.) ranks 15th nationally in scoring with 21.2 points per game. The Naismith Trophy candidate has scored in double figures in 12 of 13 games this season after putting up 34 points in the opener.
- Sophomore forward Laura Ferreira (Portugal) recorded the second double-double of her career with 12 points and 12 rebounds against SMU. Ferreira is one of four Bulls averaging double-digit scoring figures with 10.2 points per game this season.
Bulls Bits
- Sunday will mark USF's fourth game in a span of nine days. The Bulls started their winning streak with a 61-59 win at East Carolina on Jan. 2 and rolled past rival UCF, 108-63, at the Sun Dome on Tuesday night.
- The Bulls are looking for their first-ever win over a top-10 opponent Sunday. UConn has gone 17-0 in its all-time series with the Bulls.
- USF has posted a 54-18 record at the Sun Dome in the past five years.
- The Bulls are ranked No. 22 by the Associated Press and No. 18 in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll. USF has been ranked as highly as No. 18 by the AP and No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches Poll this season. Both rankings are the highest in program history.
Up Next
USF continues conference play in New Orleans against Tulane on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. (ESPN3). The Bulls return to the Sun Dome to host East Carolina on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.
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.
– #GoBulls –
