TAMPA, NOV. 10, 2017 – The University of South Florida opened the 2017-18 campaign with a strong win over visiting LSU. Maria Jespersen and Kitija Laksa combined for 36 points in the Bulls' 61-55 victory of the Tigers on Friday night at the  Sun Dome.
 
No. 23/22 USF (1-0) turned in a strong fourth quarter to push past LSU (0-1). Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) finished just shy of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds and shot 50 percent from the floor. The Cheryl Miller Award candidate went 3-for-4 from behind the arc.
 
Laksa (Riga, Latvia) added 16 points and nine rebounds, including five offensive boards. Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) turned in a team-best 10 rebounds and seven points. Laia Flores (Mataro, Spain) chipped in eight points, three rebounds and three assists.
 
On the first play of the game, Laksa scored her 1,001^st point thanks to a transition three. The Bulls and Tigers exchanged points, but USF took an 8-6 lead with under five minutes to play in the first quarter and never trailed. The Bulls led by as many as 11 in the third quarter. In the final two minutes of the game, USF outscored LSU, 6-2, for the six-point victory.
 
QUOTABLES:
Senior Maria Jespersen on facing a tough LSU team in the season opener:
"You want to play the good teams. Of course, there are always nerves in the first game, it doesn't matter who you are playing. But since this one was so important, we didn't have a chance to think about our nerves. I think it means a lot that we are so experienced. We've been in these situations before and we know what needs to be done in order to win those games. This is a game we probably could have lost last year because we were so inexperienced."

KEY STATS:
23: USF scored 18 second-chance points thanks to 23 offensive rebounds. The Bulls held a 47-39 rebounding edge, including a 23-17 advantage on the offensive glass.
 
NOTABLES: 

• USF improved to 13-5 in season openers under Fernandez and 10-2 at home.
• Kitija Laksa became the 23^rd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Laksa did it in 63 games, the second-fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. All-time great, Jessica Dickson, reached the milestone in 56 games.
• Maria Jespersen led the Bulls in scoring for the 10^th time in her career and reached 20-plus points for the 10^th time.
• Laura Ferreira's 10 rebounds marked the redshirt junior's third time reaching double-digit rebounds in her career.
• Laksa has made two-plus three-pointers in her last nine outings and has gone 16-straight games with at least one trey.

UP NEXT:
No. 23/22 USF returns to Sun Dome Arena Sunday, when it hosts Houston Baptist. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Bulls look to open the year 2-0 for the second straight season.
 
Season tickets are available for purchase, along with three- and five-game flex plans. Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
 
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF women's basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
 
USF notched its fifth consecutive 20-win season. The Bulls tallied its 20th win in their 24th contest of the season which tied the fastest any program has reached 20 wins. This is the eighth 20-win season in program history and head coach Jose Fernandez has been at the helm for all eight 20-win seasons. The 2014-15 team reached 20 wins in 24 games, and still currently holds the best record for most wins in a season (27).
 
USF has made 13 postseason tournament appearances and had five NCAA Tournament berths in Head Coach Jose Fernandez's 17 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to eight 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 300 games.
– #GoBulls –