No. 23 Bulls Return to the Sun Dome

No. 23 Bulls Return to the Sun Dome

Matchup: No. 23 USF (15-5, 5-2 The American) vs. Temple (9-10, 1-5 The American)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 28
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Location: Tampa, Fla. | Sun Dome Arena
Watch: ESPNU (Eric Frede | Christy Thomaskutty)
Radio: AM 1040 (Darek Sharp | Brigid Merenda)
Follow: Listen | Live Stats |  Twitter

TAMPA, JAN. 27, 2018 – No. 23 USF returns home to the Sun Dome in its final home game in the month of January. The Bulls will shoot for the season sweep of Temple on ESPNU at noon.  
 
Sunday marks the halfway point of the Bulls (15-5, 5-2 The American) conference slate. USF is 7-1 at home this season, its only blemish was to No. 1 UConn. The Bulls 76.5 points per game is the 38th most potent offense in the country.
 
USF is led by Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) with 19.9 points per game. Laksa's 72 three-pointers this season ranks 10th in the country but her 98.1 free throw percentage is the best across all divisions men's or women's basketball. The junior is currently riding a 42- consecutive free throw streak. Laksa has not missed a free throw since Nov. 25 (vs. Notre Dame).
 
Laia Flores (Mataro, Spain) continues to guide the Bulls and her 6.1 assists per game leads the conference and ranks 20th in the country. The senior point guard boasts a 3.67 assist turnover ratio, ranking fourth in Division I. Flores previously set the single season assists record at 200 and currently has 121 assists this season.
 
As a team, the Bulls are only averaging 11.6 turnovers per game, ranking top-5 as one of the most consistent offenses in the country.
 
THE OPPONENT
Temple (9-10, 1-5 The American) looks for its first conference win since Jan. 7. The Owls continue to be led by Tanaya Atkinson, who averages a league best 22.5 points per game. The senior adds 9.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.  
 
The Bulls and Owls will meet for the 13th time in program history. The series dates back to 2014 at the start of the American Athletic Conference and USF holds a 10-2 series advantage. The Bulls have won five of the last six meetings. USF took the first meeting this season, 89-73, in Philadelphia. The Bulls are looking for their first sweep of the Owls since the 2014-15 season.
 
NOTABLES
  • USF's best finish in The American was a 15-3 mark in 2015-16.
  • The Bulls are 7-1 at home this season.
  • Laia Flores leads the league in three different categories: assist-turnover ratio (3.67), assists (121) and assists per game (6.1). She ranks in the top 20 nationally in all three categories.
  • Kitija Laksa has made 42-consecutive free throws through 14 games this season. The junior is almost perfect from the charity stripe, and leads the country with a .981 free throw percentage (52-of-53). Laksa's only missed free throw was her first of four attempts against Notre Dame (Nov. 25).
  • The Bulls have held opponents to 65-points or less 13 times this season and are 12-1 when limiting teams to 65-points or less.
  • USF is currently receiving votes in the AP poll and is No. 23 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).
 
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 –
 
Print Friendly Version

Related News