No. 12 South Florida Falls To No. 5 Tennessee, 101-66, In The First Round Of NCAA Tournament

Friday, March 21

Columbus, Ohio

8 p.m.

University of South Florida

23-11,13-4AAC

101

Tennessee

23-9,8-8SEC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
South Fla.	25	9	22	10	66
Tennessee	26	29	24	22	101

during the South Florida Women's Basketball game vs Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 21, 2025.

(Chris Henry / University of South Florida Athletics)

Photo by: Chris Henry / University of South Florida Athletics

No. 12 South Florida Falls To No. 5 Tennessee, 101-66, In The First Round Of NCAA Tournament

March 21, 2025 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio. – March 21, 2025 – No. 12 seed South Florida (23-11) fell to No. 5 seed Tennessee (23-9), 101-66, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Value City Arena on Friday night.

Graduate guard Sammie Puisis (28 points, five 3-pointers) knocked down three or more 3-pointers for the 19^th game this season. Senior forward L'or Mputu (12 points) recorded double-digit points for the 14^th time this season.

The Lady Vol's were led by Talaysia Cooper with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

HOW THE GAME WAS DECIDED
The Bulls finished the first frame down a single point to Tennessee, 26-25. Then the Lady Vols outscored the Bulls, 33-9, from the start of the second quarter to the 8:43 minute mark of the third stanza, and Tennessee led 59-34. The Bulls' deficit grew as high as 31 points in the fourth frame.

COACH FERNANDEZ SAID

NOTABLE NUMBERS

USF now holds a record of 5-10 in the NCAA Tournament.
Puisis (five 3-pointers) has knocked down three or more 3-pointers in 19 games this season.
The five triples by Puisis ties the single-game NCAA Tournament record by a USF performer.
Puisis' 28 points is tied for second most points by a Bull in an NCAAT Game (Kitja Laksa vs Buffalo 3/17/18).
Mputu (12 points) recorded double-digit points for the 14^th time this season.
The Lady Vols led the Bulls in Bench Points, 54-3.
South Florida outrebounded Tennessee, 43-35.

AAC CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR
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ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
South Florida women's basketball has made 19 postseason tournament appearances and had 10 NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 25 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided the Bulls to 12 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2008-09 WNIT championship, and has won 485 career games, and is the all-time wins leader in the American Athletic Conference.

– #GoBulls –