Ferreira Named to NCAA Starting Five
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 21, 2018–USF senior women's basketball player
Laura Ferreira was named to the NCAA Starting Five, national recognition given to five women's basketball players who recorded standout performances for the week.
She is joined on the Starting Five by Kierra Anthony (Louisiana Tech), Bridget Carleton (Iowa State), Aari McDonald (Arizona) and Sara Rhine (Drake).
Ferreira exploded offensively with a 34-point night to help USF (4-0) take down perennial NCAA powerhouse Oklahoma 87-70 in what was a highly competitive matchup. USF and the Sooners were tied 50-50 in the third quarter, until USF went on a 19-3 run to take down the Sooners in the final period. In Ferreira's career best performance she set new career highs in points, field goals made, field goals attempted, three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted, she sank eight from beyond the arc on Sunday afternoon at the Yuengling Center, which ranks fourth all-time at USF.
Ferreira's offensive performance was just as incredible as her defensive performance, as she held OU's leading scorer Shaina Pellington to just seven points on the night and eventually her fouled out, frustrated by Ferreira's relentless counterattacks. Ferreria was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week for her career-best performance.
Against Bethune-Cookman she scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field with two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Ferreira leads the team in scoring, now averaging 20.5 points per game through four contests.
Ferreira and the Bulls have faced four straight undefeated opponents and will do so again on Thanksgiving Day when USF takes on Kentucky in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. USF will then face North Carolina on Friday Nov. 23 and RV UCLA on Saturday Nov. 23.
About USF Women's Basketball
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 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.
– #GoBulls –
