By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

WICHITA, Kan., JAN. 21, 2018 – No. 23 USF led for more than 25 minutes before Wichita State closed the game on a 16-2 run to hand the Bulls a 64-56 loss at Charles Koch Arena on Sunday.

USF (15-5, 5-2) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end after going 2-for-18 from the field in the decisive fourth quarter. Wichita State (9-12, 4-3) outscored the Bulls, 20-4, in the final period to secure its fourth straight win.

Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) tied for the game high with 16 points and extended her consecutive made free throws streak to 42 with a 4-for-4 performance.

Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) posted her second consecutive double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The senior forward moved up to eighth place on USF's career rebounds list with 748, passing Jessica Dickson (746, 2003-07).

Jespersen led the way early with 10 points that helped boost the Bulls to a 31-26 advantage in a back-and-forth first half that featured 10 lead changes. The Bulls went 10-for-12 from the free throw line in the half, shot 50 percent from the floor in the second quarter and scored 12 points off 10 Wichita State turnovers.

USF's offense continued to heat up after the break, scoring 21 points in the third quarter on the way to a 52-44 lead by the end of the period. USF found itself in comeback mode, however, after Wichita State took the lead for the final time with 5:43 remaining. Alyssa Rader's layup with 58 seconds left ended USF's scoreless drought of nearly seven minutes and the Bulls went 1-for-12 from the field down the stretch.

Quotable
Head coach Jose Fernandez's thoughts on the game:
"When you go on the road, you've got to make your free throws. You've got to take care of the ball and everybody is going to play hard and passionate against you. Nobody is going to lay down against a team like us. It's disappointing."

Key Stats
49 – Wichita State outrebounded USF, 49-39, and scored 18 second-chance points.
16-2 – Wichita State closed the game on a 16-2 run over the final 7 minutes, 21 seconds.
4 – USF set a season low for scoring in a quarter with four points in the final period.

Notable

• USF fell to 0-2 in its all-time series with Wichita State. Sunday marked the first meeting between the programs since 1983.
• The Bulls saw their four-game road winning streak come to an end. USF is now 5-2 on the road this season.
• Sunday marked USF's first game in Kansas since winning the WNIT Championship in 2009.
• Maria Jespersen registered her 10^th double-double of the season and the 22^nd of her career.
• Laia Flores dished out two assists and needs six more to move into a tie for second place on USF's career list with Renee Bellamy (429, 1991-94).

Up Next
USF returns to the Sun Dome on Sunday, Jan. 28 to take on Temple at noon (TV: ESPNU). Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.
 
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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.