TAMPA, Fla.,  Dec. 17, 2018 – USF women's basketball had its best offensive performance of the season thus far when USF won its fifth straight game it defeated Vermont and hit the century mark 102-55 on Monday night. 
 
USF (receiving votes) was powered by five Bulls scoring in double figures, including three scorers over 20, to improve to 9-2 on the season. The Bulls finished their nonconference home slate with a perfect 7-0 record at the Yuengling Center.
 
On an unstoppable shooting night, USF shot 60.0 percent from beyond the arc, burying 12-of-20 treys. Combined with a 38-of-67 clip from the field, USF had a 56.7 shooting efficiency from the field as a team – a season high for USF and its third time shooting 50 percent or better. 
 
USF is the first team in the American Athletic Conference to reach the century mark and scored 100+ points for the first time since Dec. 15, 2017 when USF defeated Southern U 108-48, 367 days ago. 
 
Senior Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal), led all scorers with 22 points, but Alyssa Rader (Thornton, Colo.) and Sydni Harvey (Nashville, Tenn.) each had a career high in scoring, earning 21 and 20 points respectively, to push three Bulls over 20 points. Rader had a season high three field goals from beyond the arc and added four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal on the night. Harvey added two rebounds and a game-high, career-high six assists on the night. 
 
Shae Leverett (Rincon, Ga.) had a breakout night with a career-high 15 points and recorded her first career double-double with 10 rebounds when she pulled down the final rebound of the night with just moments remaining. Enna Pehadzic (Horsens, Denmark) had 10 points to be the fifth Bull scoring in double figures, powered by a season-high tying three treys made, a career high eight rebounds, a block and a steal. It was her third consecutive game scoring in double figures. 
 
USF got out to a hot start and overpowered the Catamounts to a 28-7 advantage after the first period, a season-high point total in the first quarter for the Bulls. Rader had already scored 10 points in the first 10 minutes. Vermont (4-6) leveled the play in the second half, and scored 19 points to USF's 21, but the first-quarter deficit was too great for the Catamounts to surmount. USF took a comfortable 49-26 lead into the locker room behind three scorers in double figures by the break. Notably, USF commited zero fouls in the first half. 
 
The Bulls enjoyed two more high scoring quarters, earning 27 points in the third quarter and 26 points in the final period to power USF to the triple-digit outcome. But the Bulls let two Catamounts score in double figures and will need to tighten up its defensive efforts later in the week in the Florida Sunshine Classic. 
 
USF's impressive performance was fueled by just eight Bulls from an injury-ridden roster, and the final minutes were highlighted by freshman Makaela Kestner's (Bealeton, Va.) first career points. USF had 46 points in the paint, 26 points off of turnovers, and 27 second chance points in the dominating victory. 
 
This is the fifth game USF has seen four or more scorers in double figures, and second game with five or more scorers to earn 10 or more points. 
 
Rebounding is a major element to USF's success, and the Bulls out-performed UVM on the glass 47-to-20. The Bulls limited the Catamounts to just six offensive rebounds. USF also knocked down 14-of-17 from the charity stripe and had five Bulls combine for 17 dimes on the night. USF saw nearly 45 percent of its shots assisted in the offensive showout. 
 
Key Stats
0 – USF had committed zero fouls through halftime. 
1 – Shae Leverett recorded her first career double-double, tearing down a rebound for the final play of the game. 
5 -- This marks USF's fifth straight win, dating back to Nov. 24 when USF took down UCLA in the Paradise Jam. 
5 – Five Bulls scored in double figures to help USF reach a season-best offensive performance.
8 – Eight career or season highs were set or tied by Bulls tonight. 
100 – USF is the first to eclipse the century mark in the American Athletic Conference in 2018. 
 
Notable

• South Florida has won five straight games, including the last four at home and a neutral site victory over UCLA. Three of its last five opponents competed in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year. 
• USF improves to 9-2 on the season and 7-0 at home, and closes its nonconference home schedule. 
• The Bulls are the first AAC squad to reach the century mark and scored 100+ points for the first time since Dec. 15, 2017. 
• Shae Leverett earned her first career double-double behind a career-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. 
• USF has had two or more Bulls score in double figures in each game this season.
• USF is now out-rebounding opponents by 15.4 per game, which ranks fourth nationally and leads The American. 
• This is the fifth game USF has seen four or more scorers in double figures, and second game with five or more scorers to earn 10 or more points. 
• USF's 28 first-quarter points were a season-high total in the first quarter for USF. 

Up Next
Tonight's game kicked 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.) at Rollins College. 
 
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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