TAMPA, Fla.  Nov. 15, 2018 –No. 21 USF women's basketball defeated in-state opponent Bethune-Cookman 88-39 in dominating fashion on Thursday night at the Yuengling Center, outscoring the Wildcats by nearly 50 points. 
 
USF improved to 3-0 on the season for the third consecutive year, and held its opponents to under-50 for the third consecutve game this season. USF got out to a slow start in the first quarter, only outpacing BCU (2-1) 17-11 in the first 10 minutes. USF turned up the heat with a 23 point second quarter, led by Kitija Laksa with 12 in the quarter. At the break, the Bulls were leading the Wildcats 40-20 foll owing the dominating offensive effort. 
 
The Bulls continued to stampede in the third quarter when they broke out for a 28-point third quarter, the most points USF has scored in a quarter since USF defeated Ohio State in Tampa on Feb. 11, 2018. USF kept the momentum going in the fourth quarter, holding BCU to just nine fourth-quarter points and leading by as much as 50 in the game. 
 
Scoring Summary
Laura Ferreira and Kitija Laksa each had a game-high 19 points on the night, while Tamara Henshaw and Beatriz Jordao added 10 points apiece. Shae Leverett had a season-high nine points and Sydni Harvey had eight points on the night. Alyssa Rader chipped in six points, and Enna Pehadzic added five. Janeta Rozentale sunk a pair of free throws to round out the scoring effort on the night. 
 
Quotable by Jose Fernandez
"I thought in that first quarter I got off to a different start defensively than I wanted to, but we went into the locker room holding them to 20 points and that was pretty good," head coach Jose Fernandez said. "But we went on a big run in the third quarter and our post players continued to do a great job for us. They were the strength and focal point of that front line." 
 
Key Stats
60 – USF totaled 60 rebounds against the Wildcats while Albany recorded just 32. 
47.9 – The Bulls shot 47.9 percent from the floor on the night, their highest of the year 
28 – USF blasted Bethune-Cookman with a third-quarter burst of 28 points in 10 minutes. 
 
Notable

• Laura Ferreira and Kitija Laksa each had 19 points apiece. 
• Sophomore Shae Leverett was just one missed free throw away from a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds and nine points. 
• Four Bulls scored in double figures on the night including Ferreira and Laksa with 19, Beatriz Jordao with 10, and Tamara Henshaw with 10. 
• Freshman earned valuable minutes tonight and Janeta Rozentale earned two points, two assists, two rebounds and a block, while Makaela Kestner three rebounds and one block. 
• This is the third consecutive year the Bulls are off to a 3-0 start. 
• This is the third consecutive game that Bulls' opponents were held to under 50 points. 

Up Next
The Bulls round out their three-game homestand with Oklahoma on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Yuengling Center.  
 
About USF Women's Basketball
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USF notched its sixth consecutive 20-win season and fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18. It marked the ninth 20-win season in program history, with head coach Jose Fernandez at the helm for all nine. The Bulls posted 26 wins in 2017-18, just shy of the program record of 27 set in 2008-09 and 2014-15. 
 
USF has made 14 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 18 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 300 games.
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