ESTERO, FLA., NOV. 25, 2017 – Kitija Laksa turned in one of the best shooting performances of her career Saturday night in the semifinal of the Gulf Coast Showcase. The Bulls lost, 76-66, to No. 6 Notre Dame but Laksa scored 36 points thanks to a new career high nine three-pointers.  
 
Laksa (Riga, Latvia) shot 60 percent from the floor (12-of-20) but finished an astounding 9-for-11 from behind the arc. The sharp shooter's nine three-pointers, bested her previous career-high of eight. Laksa added two rebounds and two assists. Tamara Henshaw (Palm Coast, Fla.) turned in nine points and three rebounds.
 
The Bulls trailed Notre Dame early in the contest and utilized an 8-2 run at the end of the first quarter to cut the Irish lead to 23-17. The Bulls remained within striking distance but trailed by 13 at the half. Laksa scored 18 of the Bulls' 28 points in the first 20 minutes.
USF outscored the Irish 24-18 in the fourth quarter, but its late rally was too late. The Bulls shot 70 percent in the final frame and came within nine-points but USF overcame its early deficit.
 
KEY STATS:
42-25: The Bulls were out-rebounded for just the second time this season. Notre Dame out-rebounded USF 42-25.  
 
NOTABLES: 

• This is Kitija Laksa's eighth 30-point performance. The junior's career high is 38 points, but this is the third time Laksa has scored 36 points in her career.
• Kitija Laksa has made two-plus three-pointers in her last 14 outings and has gone 21-straight games with at least one trey.

UP NEXT:
USF will face St. John's in the consolation game of the 2017 Gulf Coast Showcase. The Bulls will play at 5:00 p.m. in Germain Arena.  
 
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 –