TAMPA, JAN. 30, 2019 – USF women's basketball, with just eight available players, fell 57-56 to Cincinnati, which sits third in the American Athletic Conference, on Wednesday evening in the Yuengling Center. 
 
USF (11-10, 2-5 AAC) was paced by sophomore Enna Pehadzic with a career-high 22 points on a career-high tying five three-pointers, five free throws and a field goal. The Horsens, Denmark native is tasked with leading a group of eight healthy Bulls, five of which are freshmen. In terms of seniority, Pehadzic is joined by fellow redshirt sophomore Shae Leverett (Rincon, Ga.) and junior Tamara Henshaw (Palm Coast, Fla.), who each had a game-high nine rebounds. 
 
USF came out strong in the first half on a commanding 9-2 run. The Bulls limited the Bearcats to just seven first quarter points and owned a 12-7 advantage heading into the second quarter. The Bulls led by as much as 10 in the second half, but Cincinnati chipped away and the Bulls and the Bearcats were tied 28-28 at halftime. 
 
Both teams went back and forth in the third quarter, with USF scoring 19 points and Cincinnati scoring 20 for a slight Bearcat advantage, 48-47 heading into the fourth quarter. Pehadzic scored three big three-pointers in the third quarter to help USF. 
 
In the final period, USF led by three with 6:40 to go. The teams went back and forth again, and were tied at 52-52 with 3:48 to play. Leverett made a free throw but Cincinnati hit a huge three-pointer to get a two-point lead. Leverett made another free throw and then a layup to regain a one-point edge, but Cincinnati made a jumper with 1:11 to go. Neither team would score again and Cincinnati improved to 14-7, with a 6-2 clip in in conference play to remain in third in the league. 
 
Five Bulls played 38 or more minutes on the night, while the limited USF bench stepped in for a combined eight minutes of playing time. 
 
USF is without senior superstar Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia), freshman Beatriz Jordao (Pombal, Portugal) and freshman Silvia Serrat (Banyoles, Spain) due to season-ending injuries. Senior and leading scorer Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) is out indefinitely with illness, and junior Alyssa Rader (Thornton, Colo.) is out temporarily. The unavailable Bulls combine for 51.6 points of the Bulls' offense this season. USF currently relies on eight healthy players including five freshman to battle through conference play. 
 
Septe led USF in assists with eight, and in blocks with two. Leverett and Henshaw led in rebounds with nine apiece. USF was just 8-of-16 from the charity stripe and forced 18 Bearcat fouls. However, USF committed just six personal fouls. The Bulls shot over 50 percent in both the second and third quarter and had a 38.5 shooting percentage on the night, while Cincinnati shot 41.4 percent from the field. In the tight contest, the lead changed 15 times and the score was tied nine times, all coming after the first quarter. 

Key Stats
22– Pehadzic had a career high 22 points in the set back.  
10 – Septe had a career high 10 points and a career high eight assists.
5 – USF had five players compete for 38 minutes or more.   

Notable

• Enna Pehadzic had a career high 22 points in the setback. She also tied her career high in three pointers made with five triples. 
• Luize Septe had a career high 10 points and a career high eight assists, helping USF in 13-of-20 team field goals on the night. 
• Tamara Henshaw and Shae Leverett each had nine rebounds on the night and Leverett neared a double-double with nine rebounds and eight points. 
• Two Bulls scored in double-figures, Pehadzic (17) and Septe (10). Two or more Bulls have scored in double figures in 20 of USF's 21 games. 

Up Next
USF will hit the road for the War on I-4 when the Bulls travel to Orlando, Fla., on Sunday to face UCF at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN2. 

 
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 Fernandezat 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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