TAMPA, Fla.,  Dec. 15, 2018 – USF women's basketball won its fourth straight game and improves to 8-2 on the season when the Bulls defeated Grambling State 67-50 on Saturday afternoon in the Yuengling Center. 
 
The Bulls were led by junior Alyssa Rader (Thornton, Colo.) with 16 points, 16 rebounds and three assists. The 16 rebounds are a season high for the 6-3 post, but the 16 points tie her season high for her third double-double of the year. Rader was one of four Bulls that scored in double-figures, including freshman Sydni Harvey (Nashville, Tenn.) who led USF in scoring with 18 points. She added three rebounds, three assists and a steal to her line. 
 
Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) dished out 11 points, three assists, two steals and five rebounds despite being her drive being locked down by Grambling State's Shakyla Hill. Enna Pehadzic (Horsens, Denmark) continued her standout performance from last week with 10 points and six rebounds, for her second career night scoring in double figures. 

USF (8-2) led wire to wire, delivering Grambling State's (1-7) seventh loss of the season. The Bulls sampled its seventh starting lineup of the season, and despite a slow offensive start, took a 17-11 lead after the first period. USF defense held GSU to just nine second quarter points, and drew 14 first-half personal fouls from the Tigers. USF hit 12-of-14 free throws in the first half and owned a 32-20 lead at the break. 
 
Fifty percent third quarter shooting powered USF to a 21-point quarter, extending the lead 53-32. Grambling State surged a bit and scored 18 fourth quarter points while USF tested its bench, but the deficit was too great for the Tigers and USF scored 14 points of its own to take down GSU 67-50. 
 
Rebounding is a major element to USF's success, and the Bulls out-performed GSU on the glass 53-34. USF also knocked down 20-of-24 from the charity stripe and had four Bulls combine for 10 dimes on the night. 
 
Notably, Shae Leverett (Rincon, Ga.) had six points, nine rebounds and one block and Janeta Rozentale (Dobeles, Latvia) had three points, career-high tying five rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes of physical play. Tamara Henshaw (Palm Coast, Fla.) had three points, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal in just 13 minutes of action. Harvey'a 18 points came on a 5-of-12 clip but the freshman knocked down 7-for-7 from the line. 
 
Key Stats
4 – USF boasted four scorers in double figures in the dominating victory.   
4 -- This marks USF's fourth straight win, dating back to Nov. 24 when USF took down UCLA in the Paradise Jam. 
16 – Alyssa Rader recorded 16 points and 16 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. 
53 – USF out-rebounded Grambling State 53-34, a key factor to USF's success this season. 
 
Notable

• USF improves to 8-2 on the season and 6-0 at home. 
• Alyssa Rader recorded her third double-double of the season with a season-high tying 16 points and season high 16 rebounds. 
• Four Bulls scored in double figures on the night: Harvey (18), Rader (16), Ferreira (11) and Pehadzic (10). 
• This is the sixth opponent of 10 that USF has held to 50 points or less. 
• Enna Pehadzic had her second consecutive night with double-digit scoring after having 14 against George Washington last week and 10 tonight against Grambling State. 
• USF has had two or more Bulls score in double figures in each game this season.
• USF is now out-rebounding opponents by 14.2 per game, which ranks sixth nationally and leads The American. 

 
Up Next
USF women's basketball will round out a four-game homestand when it takes on Vermont on Monday night at 7 p.m. at the Yuengling Center. The game kicks off a three-contest week for the Bulls who will travel to the Florida Sunshine Classic in Orlando, Fla., later in the week to face Creighton (Dec. 20, 4 p.m.) and Virginia (Dec. 21, 6:15 p.m.). 
 
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.
--#GoBulls –