By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio, NOV. 6, 2018 – Three Bulls scored in double figures as No. 22/21 USF started the 2018-19 season in stride with a 71-47 win at Ohio State on Tuesday night.

Two-time All-American Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) opened her senior campaign with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in USF's second straight win over reigning Big Ten champion Ohio State (0-1).

Freshman Beatriz Jordao (Pombal, Portugal) started at center and posted a double-double in her impressive debut with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

USF got more freshman production from starting point guard Sydni Harvey, who scored nine of her 16 points in the first half that saw the Bulls roll to a 37-19 lead. The Nashville, Tenn., native went 7-for-8 from the free throw line and finished with three assists.

Junior Alyssa Rader (Thornton, Colo.) grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to help USF finish with a 48-32 advantage on the boards. Senior Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) added eight points and seven rebounds.

Freshmen shined right away with Jordao and Harvey each scoring nine points apiece to help USF build a 37-19 halftime advantage in the third meeting between the programs.

Jordao started her collegiate career with seven quick points as the Bulls took a 21-11 lead into the second quarter. USF went 7-for-9 from the free-throw line in the period and 14-for-17 in the first half.

Laksa knocked down her second three-pointer of the game during a 7-0 run that extended the USF lead up to 28-11 less than three minutes into the second quarter. Despite a lengthy scoring drought, the Bulls maintained a sizeable lead by limiting Ohio State to eight points in the second quarter and a 25.8 shooting percentage in the opening half.

USF ruled the boards by a 30-16 margin in the first half while Jordao was on the verge of a double-double with eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

Harvey jumped into double figures during her own 7-0 run that pumped the advantage up to 44-20 less than three minutes into the third quarter. Laksa scored nine of USF's 22 points in the period and reached double digits for the 81^st time in her stellar USF career.

Up by 23 entering the fourth quarter, USF utilized its depth throughout the game with 11 players seeing action and nine different Bulls scoring points.

Quotable
Head coach Jose Fernandez on the Bulls' season-opening win:
"It's great to go on the road and beat a Big Ten team. The game just never really had a flow to it. It looked like a first game for both teams… The free throw line was good. We did a great job on the glass."

Fernandez on solid performances by freshmen Beatriz Jordao and Sydni Harvey:
"For Bea to have 17 and 10, and Sydni Harvey to have 16, those were the two holes we needed to fill in recruiting and they looked good. I'm happy for them."

Key Stats
48 – USF finished with a 48-32 rebounding advantage after dominating on the boards by a 30-16 margin in the opening half.
33 – The number of combined points scored by freshmen Beatriz Jordao and Sydni Harvey.
25.8 – Ohio State's shooting percentage in the first half while the Bulls built a 37-19 lead.
24 – USF made 24 of its 29 free throw attempts.
 
Notable

• USF improved to 2-1 in its all-time series with Ohio State. The Bulls have won two in a row against the Buckeyes after an 84-65 victory over then-No. 13 Ohio State in Tampa on Feb. 11, 2018.
• Kitija Laksa has scored 58 points in the past two meetings with Ohio State after pouring in a career-high 41 points against the Buckeyes last season.
• USF began its 47^th season of women's basketball and its 19^th season under the guidance of head coach Jose Fernandez.

Up Next
USF returns to Tampa for its home opener against University at Albany that's set for 7 p.m. Friday at the Yuengling Center. Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.
 
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 Fernandezat 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.