TAMPA, NOV. 15, 2016 – If there was any doubt that the University of South Florida would skip a beat after last season's NCAA Tournament run, the balanced offense of the Bulls erased any reservations after downing North Florida 78-42 Tuesday night at the Sun Dome.

Sophomore Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) poured in a game-high 18 points and shot .600 (3-for-5) from behind the arc while junior Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) was shy of a double-double with 16 points and eight rebounds. Adding to the dynamic duo's strong performance was senior Katelyn Weber (Little Rock, Ark.) who grabbed a career high 11 rebounds in 16 minutes of action. Freshman Tamara Henshaw (Palm Coast, Fla.) turned in a dominant performance in the paint, claiming 11 points and eight rebounds in just 15 minutes on the floor.

The Bulls (1-0) never trailed and led by as much as 36 points Tuesday. USF limited the Ospreys to single-digits in every quarter but the third and held them to a 21 percent shooting percentage. North Florida was led by Tesh Hanson with 18 points and nine rebounds.

Quotables

USF head coach Jose Fernandez on his overall feelings on the game:

“I was happy that Henshaw, Bond and Nagy got a lot of time. We played with a little bit of nerves and jitters. This team really shares the ball well. I was happy with 16 assists on 26 made field goals.”

USF head coach Jose Fernandez on the versatility of the team:

“I like the versatility of the team, that we can play so many kids at the wing with Ariadna, Kitija, Maria, Dorottya and Jazz. That's definitely our strength.”

Key Stats

The Bulls dominated the glass, out-rebounding North Florida 58-35. Tuesday marked the first time since Feb. 3, 2016 when the Bulls grabbed 65.

USF made 20 trips to the charity stripe and went 17-for-20 from the line.

Notables

USF has scored 70-plus points in every home season opener since 2010.

All 10 USF players that saw action Tuesday scored at least two points and had at least one rebound.

Weber's 11 rebounds and Laia Flores' eight assists tied career highs.

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The Bulls return eight players from last season, and have signed six newcomers to the roster. American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Kitija Laksa will lead a squad full of international flavor that boasts nine players from around the world.  USF will look to extend its postseason streak to five consecutive seasons and return to the conference championship for the third time in as many years.

USF has made 12 postseason tournament appearances and had four NCAA Tournament berths in Head Coach Jose Fernandez's 16 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to seven 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 280 games.

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