No. 17 Bulls Travel to D.C. Saturday

No. 17 Bulls Travel to D.C. Saturday

Matchup: No. 17 USF (6-1) vs. George Washington (3-4)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 2
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Washington, D.C. | Smith Center
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No. 17 Bulls Travel to D.C. Saturday
 
TAMPA, DEC. 1, 2017 – The USF women's basketball team, ranked No. 17 in both national polls, takes its first true road trip of the season Saturday and will face George Washington University at 2 p.m. The Bulls travel to the nation's capital for the first time since 2013.
 
Fans are invited to join the D.C. alumni chapter at the game. Tickets are available on-site. For more information, fans can contact the D.C. alumni chapter at usfbullsdc@gmail.com.
 
No. 17 USF (6-1) is coming off a third-place finish at the 2017 Gulf Coast Showcase. The Bulls have dominated the month of November, outscoring opponents by 21 points per game. American Athletic Conference player of the week, Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia), continues to lead the Bulls with 23.0 points per game. The junior ranks 10th in the country in scoring but her 30 three-point field goals this season is second in Division I, behind Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State) who leads the country with 36.
 
The Bulls boast a balanced offense with three players averaging double-figures. Senior Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) practically averages a double-double with 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) averages 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. USF's floor general Laia Flores (Mataro, Spain)  leads the league with 6.7 assists per game and her 4.27 assist – turnover ratio ranks 12th in the country. The Bulls' bench averages 14.7 points per game.
 
THE OPPONENT
GW (3-4) returns to action after hosting the 2017 Paradise Jam. The Colonials went 1-2 in the tournament, defeating Wisconsin, 61-46, but dropped decisions to Vanderbilt, 69-59, and Syracuse, 74-62. GW is led by Kelli Prange with 14.1 points per game while Neila Luma leads the Colonials on the boards with 7.9 rebounds per game.
 
USF and GW will meet for the fourth time in program history. The Bulls hold a 2-1 series advantage and will face the Colonials for the second time in Washington, D.C. The pair last met in the 2014 WNIT quarterfinals. The Bulls advanced to the WNIT semifinals after a 74-59 defeat at the Sun Dome. GW's only series win was on Jan. 28, 1991 in D.C. The Colonials won, 73-61.
 
NOTABLES
  • USF travels to D.C. for the first time since March 4, 2013. The Bulls played at Georgetown and defeated the Hoyas, 65-51.
  • Saturday is the Bulls' first true road game of the season. USF is a perfect 4-0 at home and 2-1 in neutral site games.
  • Kitija Laksa landed on two more of top national watch lists for player of the year this past week. Laksa is now on the Wade Trophy, Citizen Naismith Award and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch lists.
  • Laksa has made two-plus three-pointers in her last 15 outings and has gone 22-straight games with at least one trey. 
  • Maria Jespersen inches closer to 1,000 career points. The senior sits at 960 points and 629 rebounds. The forward is on pace to become only the 10th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points and 600 rebounds.
  • Laia Flores leads the league in three different categories: assist-turnover ratio (4.27), assists (47) and assists per game (6.7). She ranks in the top-18 nationally in all three categories.
  • USF is currently ranked No. 17 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches' Poll. The Bulls started the season ranked No. 23/22 and peaked at No. 17 (AP – Week 2) and No. 16 (Coaches – week 3). USF has been ranked in both polls every week. The program's highest ranking in both polls was in 2016 when the Bulls were ranked No. 16 (AP – Jan. 18 | Coaches – Jan. 19)
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 –
 
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