By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, FEB. 11, 2018 – No. 22 USF reached its sixth consecutive 20-win season in remarkable fashion by overpowering No. 13 Ohio State, 84-65, before a rocking crowd of 2,852 at the Sun Dome on Sunday.

Kitija Laksa matched The American's single-game record with career-high 41 points to lead charge in the Bulls' first victory over a top-15 team since defeating Louisville in Kentucky on Feb. 20, 2013. The junior sharp-shooter from Riga, Latvia knocked down eight of USF's 11 three-pointers in her second 40-point outing of the season.

Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) also shined in USF's fifth straight win by securing her 13^th double-double of the season with 20 points and a season-high 14 rebounds to help the Bulls (20-5) rule the boards by a 46-26 margin.

Senior point guard Laia Flores (Mataro, Spain) grabbed eight rebounds and matched a season high by dishing out 11 of USF's 19 total assists. Freshman Alba Prieto (Seville, Spain) scored eight points in 11 minutes to help the Bulls finish with a 14-2 edge in bench points.

Dominating in all aspects of the game, USF electrified the Sun Dome from the start, a three-pointer by Laksa, on the way to a 46-32 halftime lead.

The Bulls exploded out of the gates and used a 15-1 run over the final four minutes of the first quarter to grab a 31-13 advantage. Laksa scored 18 of her 23 first-half points in the opening quarter and went 4-for-6 from long range in the first two periods.

Jespersen also started in a groove with nine points and seven rebounds, as the Bulls opened with a 28-11 advantage on the boards. Prieto gave the Bulls a big lift in the second quarter, scoring all eight of her points during the period with a pair of three-pointers.

Up by 18 after the third, USF led by as many as 28 points in the final quarter and used a relentless effort on the defensive end to seal the deal.

Ohio State (20-6) came into the Sun Dome ranking third nationally in scoring offense before being held well below its 86.2 points per game average. Laura Ferreira's stellar defensive effort helped limit OSU star Kelsey Mitchell to nine first-half points. Mitchell, the nation's third-leading scorer, finished with 19 points a game after pouring in 28 against Rutgers.

Quotable
Head coach Jose Fernandez's thoughts on the Bulls' big win:
"That was a great atmosphere here in the Dome. I'm really proud of our group, the way that we shared it. I know Kit had a special day, and having Maria and Kit shoot the ball as they did. I thought the biggest thing we wanted to do was rebound collectively, hold them to one shot, and try and get out and run and score in transition. That was the biggest thing for us… I'm really proud of our guys. I think it was a great game for women's basketball and national TV as well."

Fernandez on Kitija Laksa's performance:
"She's a special player. When she's in a zone, she's just as good as any scorer, shooter in the country. The big thing is she got really good looks. A lot of her looks were open looks and she knocked them down."

Maria Jespersen on the statement USF made with the victory and Laura Ferreira's defensive contributions:
"I think it shows what we're capable of. I think everybody on the team did their part today. Laura Ferreira today, we don't win without her. Her defense was tremendous. She does this every day for us, but today she had to go up against Mitchell. She just does a phenomenal job and she should get a lot of credit for this game, this win."

Key Stats
46 – USF kept an Ohio State comeback out of reach by dominating on the glass by a 46-26 margin.
31 – The Bulls seized the momentum with a 31-point opening quarter and grabbed an 18-lead in the period.
17 – USF scored 17 second-chance points while finishing with a 15-6 edge in offensive rebounds.
14 – Reserves also stepped up to help USF finish with a 14-2 scoring advantage in bench points.

Notable

• Kitija Laksa matched The American's single-game record with 41 points and finished three points shy of the USF game record of 44 points by Shantia Grace against Coppin State on Nov. 23, 2008.
• Laksa now owns the USF record for 30-point games with 10, breaking a tie with Wanda Guyton (1985, 87-89). Laksa needs eight more three-pointers to match USF's season record of 117 by Janae Stokes (2008-09).
• Laksa moved up to seventh on USF's all-time scoring list with 1,504 points. Laksa needs six more points to move into a tie for sixth place with Mary Klinewski (1981-85).
• Maria Jespersen moved up to 13^th on USF's career scoring list with 1,289 points.
• USF improved to 10-1 at home this season.

 
Up Next
USF will host SMU in the program's annual Play4Kay game on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. Learn more about the Play4Kay initiative HERE and reserve your seats for USF-SMU at USFBullsTix.com.
 
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USF notched its fifth consecutive 20-win season. The Bulls tallied its 20th win in their 24th contest of the season which tied the fastest any program has reached 20 wins. This is the eighth 20-win season in program history and head coach Jose Fernandez has been at the helm for all eight 20-win seasons. The 2014-15 team reached 20 wins in 24 games, and still currently holds the best record for most wins in a season (27).
 
USF has made 13 postseason tournament appearances and had five NCAA Tournament berths in Head Coach Jose Fernandez's 17 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to eight 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 300 games.