By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

PHILADELPHIA, Pa., JAN. 10, 2018 – Four Bulls finished in double figures to help No. 25 USF put up its highest scoring total ever against Temple in an 89-73 road victory on Wednesday night.

Junior Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) led the way with 29 points after making all four of her three-point attempts in a 19-point first half for USF (13-4, 3-1). Laksa also grabbed a team-high six rebounds while USF ruled the boards by a 42-30 margin.

Senior Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) posted her fifth 20-point game of the season, finishing with 20 points and five rebounds. Jespersen went 7-for-10 from the field on a hot-shooting night for the Bulls (50 percent, 32-for-64).

Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) added 12 points and freshman Alba Prieto (Seville, Spain) scored in double digits for the second time as a Bull with 10 points in a career-high 26 minutes.

Anxious to bounce back from a loss to UConn, USF jumped on Temple early, knocking down eight three-pointers on the way to a 49-31 halftime lead.

Laksa made a three-pointer in the first five seconds of the action and went 4-for-4 from long range in a 12-point first quarter to boost the Bulls to a 25-15 lead. USF sank five of seven shots from beyond the arc and shot nearly 59 percent in the opening quarter.

Laksa finished the half with 19 points after going 7-for-12 from the field. Jespersen also was already in double figures with 10 points after helping USF shoot 56 percent before the break.

USF ended up scoring its most-ever points in 12 matchups with Temple, topping its previous series high of 79 in a home win over the Owls on Feb. 22, 2015. Prior to Wednesday, USF's top score at Temple was 72 points in a victory in Philadelphia on Feb. 22, 2014.

Quotable
Head coach Jose Fernandez on freshman Alba Prieto stepping up while playing a career-high 26 minutes:
"I thought she had a really good first half, played well, got minutes and had a great game."

Key Stats
89 – USF's highest point total ever against Temple, topping the previous high of 79 set at home in 2015.
56 – USF made 56 percent of its shot in the opening half on the way to a 49-31 lead.
43 – USF shot nearly 43 percent from long range (9-for-21) after making eight three-pointers in the first half.
 
Notable

• USF improved to 4-1 in road games this season and 10-2 in its all-time series with Temple. The Bulls have won five of the past six meetings with the Owls.
• Maria Jespersen registered her 14^th-career game with at least 20 points. Jespersen is just nine rebounds away from a tie for ninth on USF's career chart with Ezria Parsons (729 rebounds, 2003-05).
• With 29 points, Kitija Laksa nearly broke the USF record for career 30-point games. Laksa is currently tied with all-time great Wanda Guyton for the program lead with nine 30-point games apiece.
• Freshman Alba Prieto posted the second double-digit scoring game of the season with 10 points, two points off her career best, in a career-high 26 minutes.
• Laura Ferreira posted her 40^th-career double-digit scoring game with 12 points. Ferreira has scored at least 10 points in 12 games this season and two of her past three outings.
• USF is currently receiving votes in the AP poll and is ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. The Bulls started the season ranked No. 23/22 and peaked at No. 16 (AP – week 4) and No. 16 (Coaches – weeks 3-4). USF has been ranked in the coaches' poll every week and has received votes in every AP Poll. The program's highest ranking in both polls was in 2016, when the Bulls were ranked No. 15 (AP – Jan. 18 | Coaches – Jan. 19).

Up Next
USF returns to the Sun Dome to host rival UCF in a War on I-4 showdown that's set for Sunday at noon (TV: ESPNU). Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.
 
About USF Women's Basketball
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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.