No. 22 Bulls Host East Carolina Wednesday

No. 22 Bulls Host East Carolina Wednesday

Matchup: No. 23 USF (18-5, 8-2 The American) vs. ECU (13-10, 5-5 The American)
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 7
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Tampa, Fla. | Sun Dome Arena
Watch: BullsVision | http://gousfbulls.com/watch/?Live=109
Radio: AM 1040 (Darek Sharp)
Follow: Listen | Live Stats |  Twitter
 
TAMPA, FEB. 6, 2018 – The USF women's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the Sun Dome Wednesday night for an American Athletic Conference match-up. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. USF's BullsVision will broadcast the game on GoUSFBulls.com.
 
USF will wear blue shooting shirts prior to the contest in honor of the Autism Speaks campaign. The Bulls hope to raise awareness of Autism with several booths providing information around the arena.  
 
The Bulls (18-5, 8-2 The American) have dominated the glass in their last three contests and have grabbed 50+ rebounds in each of their last three games. Senior Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) leads USF this season with 9.5 rebounds per game but in the last five games, Jespersen averages 10.6 rebounds per game. The forward also averages 22.8 points per game since Jan. 17.
 
Jespersen was honored Monday by the American Athletic Conference after she turned in her 11th and 12th double-doubles this season. Jespersen's 12 double-doubles rank 14th in NCAA Division I. Junior Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) remains steady at the free throw line and leads the country with a 97.0 free throw percentage. Laksa's current free throw streak is 12-straight free throws, after a perfect 10-for-10 performance at Tulane.
 
Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) rounds out the Bulls' top scoring threats with 10.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Laia Flores (Mataro, Spain) continues to guide the Bulls offense that averages 75.7 points per game. Flores has 139 assists this season and is only 61 assists away from matching her USF season record of 200 assists in a single season.
 
THE OPPONENT
East Carolina (13-10, 5-5 The American) carries a three-game win streak into Wednesday's contest. The Pirates have not lost since Jan. 24 when they suffered a 64-58 setback at Tulane. In their last three games, the Pirates have averaged over 77 points per game. The Pirates' balanced offense is led by Ariyana Williams with 9.7 points per game.
 
The Bulls and Pirates will meet for the 14th time in program history. The pair first met in 1985 and USF trails the all-time series 6-7. The Bulls have won five of the last six meetings since the pair joined The American in 2014.  
 
NOTABLES
  • USF's best finish in The American was a 15-3 (.833) mark in 2014-15. The American shifted to a 16-game schedule in 2016-17 season and the Bulls finished 11-5 (.688)
  • The Bulls are 8-1 at home this season, including a 3-1 record at home in The American. Since 2014, the Bulls are 46-9 at the Sun Dome.
  • Throughout the month of February, the Bulls will compete in a national fundraiser for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. For every free throw made, fans can pledge funds toward the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Bulls current free throw tally is 25 made free throws.
  • Laia Flores leads the league in three different categories: assist-turnover ratio (3.76), assists (139) and assists per game (6.0). She ranks in the top 23 nationally in all three categories.
  • The Bulls have held opponents to 65-points or less 16 times this season and are 15-1 when limiting teams to 65-points or less.
  • USF is currently receiving votes in the AP poll and is No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. The Bulls started the season ranked No. 23/22 and peaked at No. 16 (AP – week 4) and No. 16 (Coaches – weeks 3-4). USF has been ranked in the coaches' poll every week and has received votes in every AP Poll. The program's highest ranking in both polls was in 2016, when the Bulls were ranked No. 15 (AP – Jan. 18 | Coaches – Jan. 19).
 
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF women's basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
 
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.
– #GoBulls –
 
Print Friendly Version

Related News