By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MARCH 4, 2019 – USF nearly pulled off a stunner for the ages on a senior night like no other at the Yuengling Center.

Head coach Jose Fernandez's Bulls became the second-ever team (both USF) in American Athletic Conference history to lead No. 2 UConn at halftime and almost took an advantage into the fourth quarter before falling to the Huskies, 57-47, in front of 5,614 fans on Monday night. 

The first AAC team to lead the Huskies at halftime was the Bulls in 2016 and this version of USF women's basketball built the largest-ever halftime advantage in AAC play against the Huskies, 29-25, with far from a full squad.

Minus star seniors Kitija Laksa (injury) and Laura Ferreira (heart condition), who logged in less than a minute, USF had a 43-42 lead with 17 seconds left in the third quarter and took a tie past the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

USF (16-14, 7-9 in AAC) held the Huskies to their lowest point total of the season and ended up matching the second-closest final margin against UConn since it joined The American.

UConn (28-2, 16-0 in AAC) also was limited to 57 points in a loss to No. 8/7 Baylor on Jan. 3 and pulled away from the Bulls on Monday night with a 12-2 run after the 45-45 tie in the fourth quarter.

Enna Pehadzic (Horsens, Denmark) scored seven of her team-high 15 points in the first half to help the Bulls take a 29-25 lead into the break. It marked UConn's lowest first-half point total of the season, one point fewer than its previous season low that was also against USF on Jan. 13.

Senior night started in surprise fashion with the Yuengling Center crowd roaring as Ferreira marched out to the court during the starting lineup introduction, just hours after she revealed her heart condition to the public for the first time.

The crowd stayed on its feet once it was game time because of another senior surprise. Thanks to an honorable agreement between the programs, Ferreira coasted in for a layup to score the game's first points before her final exit as a Bull.

Once things were tied up at 2-2, Pehadzic knocked down a jumper and added a three-pointer as USF opened with an 11-4 advantage in the first few minutes. Pehadzic scored seven points in the period and the Bulls held a 17-8 lead prior to Crystal Dangerfield's buzzer-beating three.

With the score tied at 23-23, Sydni Harvey's free throw put the Bulls back ahead with 3:12 remaining in the half that USF closed with a 6-2 run.

USF trailed by as many as seven in the third quarter before a 10-2 run gave the Bulls a 43-42 advantage they took down to the final seconds of the period. After it was tied at 45-45 in the fourth, a Pehadzic jumper got USF back within one with 6:26 to play, but UConn closed the game on a 9-0 run.

Quotable
Head coach Jose Fernandez on how the Bulls built a lead and how the close battle unfolded:
"It was their effort today. When you've got a good program, one thing you shouldn't have to coach is how hard your kids play, the effort they play with. Those first 20 minutes, I thought we did a really, really good job defending and rebounding… Down the stretch, we just struggled to make some plays."

Fernandez on how important it was for Laura Ferreira to make the game's first basket in her final outing as a Bull:
"This is a young lady, with what she's going through and the procedure that she talked about in her senior video, that could be the last time she steps on a basketball floor. For her to walk off meant a lot to our team, to our staff and to our fans. It was special."

Fernandez on how the Ferriera starting decision came to be after it was cleared by the USF administration, trainers and team doctors:
"I didn't talk to Geno (Auriemma) until Laura and I sat down while we were in Cincinnati and she had some time to think about it. That's how it came about. I'm glad she was able to walk off the floor and get recognized by our fans."

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma on how the Bulls gave the Huskies a battle once again and the job USF has done with an injury-riddled roster:
"Playing these guys is never easy. They have a style of play that grinds it out and grinds it out. You've got to capitalize on the possessions that you have."

"I think Jose has done a magnificent job with his team this year, given all the circumstances that he's been under with his team. They've done a remarkable job, him and his staff, they really have. I'm really, really impressed with what they've done."

Key Stats 
12-2 - UConn pulled away with a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter after the score was tied at 45-45.
25 - USF limited UConn to 25 first-half points, which marked a season low for the Huskies.

Notables

• In what was previously disclosed as an illness, senior Laura Ferreira revealed Monday that she's been dealing with a heart condition since mid-January of this year.
• Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) and Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) were honored during a senior pregame ceremony at center court.
• Ferreira was also honored pregame for joining the 1,000-point club this season, a feat she accomplished on Nov. 18 against Oklahoma, when she scored her career-high 34 points. 
• Only two teams have led UConn at halftime in American Athletic Conference play and they've both been USF squads. The Bulls led the Huskies by one at the break on Feb. 29, 2016. On Monday, USF had a 29-25 advantage at halftime.
• Monday marked USF's sixth-largest home crowd in program history (5,614). The record for single-game home attendance in Bulls history (6,659 fans) was set in a matchup against UConn on Jan. 6, 2018. USF's top home attendance total this season was 5,707 fans in a game against Houston on Feb. 10.
• USF held UConn to its lowest point total of the season. The Huskies also scored 57 points in a loss to No. 8/7 Baylor on Jan. 3.
• UConn was limited to its lowest halftime point total of the season (25). The Huskies' previous season halftime low was 26 points against USF on Jan. 13.

 
Up Next
The Bulls will begin their American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship run Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Fifth-seeded USF will take on the 12^th-seeded Tulane at noon in Uncasville, Conn.
 
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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.