WINTER PARK, Fla.,  Dec. 21, 2018 – USF led Virginia for 32 minutes on Friday night at Rollins College but could not stop a 29-point Cavalier fourth quarter and fell 67-74 in the Florida Sunshine Classic. 
 
After Virginia (5-7) opened the first quarter with a three-pointer, USF (9-4) sped out to a 16-2 run to own a 25-15 advantage after the first 10 minutes. The Bulls led by as much as 15 in the first half, and took a 40-27 advantage to the locker room. 
 
But USF offense ran cold in the third quarter when the Bulls scored just nine points on 5-of-17 from the field. The Bulls hung on to maintain a 49-45 lead going into the final period. Virginia exploded for a 29-point quarter and made six threes and 16 free throws to steal the lead from USF. The Bulls resorted to fouling to gain possesions after costly turnovers down the stretch, but Enna Pehadzic (Horsens, Denmark) hit the last basket, a three-pointer with 3:42 to go, and the Bulls didn't see another made field goal. Five made free throws ended the night for the Bulls. 
 
Rebounding, which is critical to USF's success, did not go the Bulls' way, as USF was outrebounded for the first time this season 34-42. USF and Virginia were neck and neck in shooting, as Virginia (26-of-62) only made two more field goals than the Bulls (24-of-61). But late fouls sent Virginia to the line 22 time to USF's 12 which stretched the deficit. 
 
A bright spot on the night was USF's four scorers in double figures, the seventh time this season USF has seen four or more scorers in double figures, and fourth consecutive time. Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal), led USF in scoring with 17 points and added two rebounds and two assists. Pehadzic had a big night, hitting clutch second-half three pointers to keep the Bulls in the competition and amassing 15 points. She added seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in the effort. Pehadzic was named to the All-Tournament team for her success this week in Winter Park. 
 
Beatriz Jordao (Pombal, Portugal) helped USF in the paint with 11 points and five rebounds, while Alyssa Rader (Thornton, Colo.) had 10 points and five rebounds. Elisa Pinzan (Murano, Italy) had a game-high six assists to help USF while Sydni Harvey (Nashville, Tenn.) was limited to just eight points by the Virginia defense. She added three assists, two steals and two rebounds. 
 
Key Stats
35 – Enna Pehadzic combined for 35 points in the Florida Sunshine Classic and was named to the All-Tournament team. 
7 – This is the seventh game USF has seen four or more scorers in double figures 
 
Notable

• USF falls to 9-4 on the year, with three of its losses coming from ACC or SEC teams. USF owns wins over Big Ten, Big XII, and Pac-12 teams. 
• Enna Pehadzic combined for 35 points in the Sunshine Classic and was named to the All-Tournament team. 
• USF has had two or more Bulls score in double figures in each game this season.
• This is the seventh game USF has seen four or more scorers in double figures. 

Up Next
USF will close its nonconference schedule in Baton Rouge, La., when the Bulls take on LSU on Dec. 30 at 4 p.m. on the SEC Network. 
 
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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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