JONESBORO, ARK., DEC. 11, 2016 – A strong second half pushed the University of South Florida past Arkansas State Sunday afternoon at Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Ark. The Bulls downed the Red Wolves 78-59, outscoring them 48-27 in the second half.

The Bulls (7-0) trailed for 16 of the first 20 minutes, but came within one point, with a chance to take the lead in the final seconds of the half. Out of the break a refocused USF team, led by Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia), shut down the Red Wolves (1-7) offense. Laksa scored back-to-back three-pointers and the Bulls never looked back. USF held Arkansas State scoreless for the first three minutes of the third quarter and ended the frame with a 54-43 lead.

Laksa finished with a game-high 20 points while Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) added 14 points. Ariadna Pujol (Mataro, Spain) and Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) each added 11 and Dorottya Nagy (Pecs, Hungary) chipped in a career high nine points.

Freshman Tamara Henshaw (Palm Coast, Fla.) grabbed a career high 10 rebounds and scored eight points.

Key Stats

USF outrebounded Arkansas State 48-29, which included 10 offensive rebounds. Every Bull that played grabbed at least two rebounds, and three tallied at least six.

The Bulls defense tallied nine steals, matching their season high and forced 12 turnovers.

Notables

With Laksa's first basket, the sophomore reached 500 career points in 36 games, she became the third fastest player in program history to reach 500 points. She falls behind Jessica Dickson (29 games) and Wanda Guyton (32 games).

Laksa has scored 20-plus points in four games this season, and Sunday was the ninth 20-point game in her career.

Henshaw's 10 rebounds are a career high and she is the fourth Bull to reach double-digit rebounds this season.

The Bulls have not allowed more than 65 points in a game this season.

Laksa has scored at least one three-pointer in 11 consecutive games, dating back to last year.

Up Next

USF returns to Tampa Wednesday Dec. 14 for a 7 p.m. match-up with Saint Francis U. In a special promotion, fans can bring a teddy bear to toss at half-time that will be donated to local charities.

To stay up-to-date on the latest USF women's' basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).

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.

To purchase season tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.

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