TAMPA, Fla. (January 3, 2026) –
Edyn Battle led the University of South Florida women's basketball team on Saturday inside the Yuengling Center. South Florida got the new year started with a conference win against North Texas. For just the fourth time since the start of the 1999-2000 season, the Bulls (8-7, 1-1 American) had five players record double digits in the wire-to-wire 77-61 victory over the Mean Green (7-7, 1-1 American).
For the first time since the 2014-15 season, South Florida had five players score in double digits. Battle,
L'or Mputu,
Jelena Bulajic,
Carla Brito, and
Stefanie Ingram produced double figures. Brito extended her streak of double-doubles to three games. It is the 24th time a USF player has produced three consecutive double-doubles, dating back to the start of the 1999-2000 season.
For the third-straight game, Brito has produced a double-double. She is the first USF player since Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu during the 2022-23 season. Brito finished the game with 11 points and 10 rebounds, all defensive. She added four assists and one steal. Battle posted a team-high 17 points to go along with five assists. Mputu finished the game with 14 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots.
Bulajic recorded a career-high 13 points behind a career-high three 3-pointers. She finished shooting 3-for-4 from behind the arc. She collected two rebounds, dished out two assists, blocked two shots, and added a steal. Ingram chipped in with a 10-point effort. She had six rebounds and a game-high five assists.
The Bulls got off to a fast start, opening the game by outscoring the Mean Green 12-6. Five different USF players scored at least one point to help South Florida take an early lead midway through the first stanza. The Bulls continued to apply pressure at both ends of the floor and ended the quarter on an 11-2 run. South Florida took a 22-10 lead into the second. Eight of the nine players recorded a point, led by Bulajic with five points.
The Mean Green opened the second with a 9-2 run and cut the Bulls' lead to 24-19. USF was unfazed by the run and closed out the half with a 35-28 lead. Battle scored the final eight points of the first half and had nine at the break.
Fatou Diakite had a game-high five rebounds. The USF defense held the UNT to 33.3 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes.
North Texas managed to cut the South Florida lead to five several times in the third quarter, but each time the Bulls responded and kept the Mean Green from getting any closer. At the start of the fourth stanza, UNT cut the deficit to four, 55-51. USF rattled off six straight points to extend the lead to 10, 61-51. The Bulls held a 66-59 lead with 2:22 left in regulation, before Battle, Bulajic, Ingram, and Mputu combined to score 11 unanswered points to put South Florida on top 77-59. UNT made a late basket to make the field goal to make the final score 77-61, in favor of USF.
As a team, the Bulls finished shooting 50.0 percent from the field. It was the fifth time this season that USF shot 50 percent or better. The Bulls ended the game with advantages in points off turnovers (23-11), points in the paint (48-38), fast break points (17-7), and bench points (25-19).
Aysia Proctor led North Texas with a game-high 18 points. Megan Nestor notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Notables:
•
Carla Brito extended her streak of double-doubles to three games. It is the 24th time a USF player has produced three consecutive double-doubles, dating back to the start of the 1999-2000 season.
• For the first time since the 2014-15 season and the fourth time since the 1999-2000 season, South Florida had five players score in double digits.
Edyn Battle,
L'or Mputu,
Jelena Bulajic,
Carla Brito, and
Stefanie Ingram produced double figures.
• It is the third time this season that the Bulls have had five players finish with double-digit points.
•
Edyn Battle posted a team-high 17 points, her sixth game in double figures.
•
L'or Mputu finished the game with 14 points for her sixth game in double digits.
•
Jelena Bulajic recorded a career-high 13 points behind a career-high three 3-pointers. She shot a career-best 3-for-4 from behind the arc.
• Stefani Ingram chipped in with a 10-point effort, her ninth game scoring double digits.
Up Next
The Bulls hit the road for the first time in conference play on Tuesday, January 6. USF takes on UAB on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.
About South Florida Women's Basketball
Be sure to follow USF women's basketball on social media (X / Instagram / Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
Michele Woods-Baxter was named as USF women's basketball interim head coach. South Florida women's basketball has built a storied tradition over the past 25 seasons, highlighted by 19 postseason tournament appearances and 10 NCAA Tournament berths. The program has achieved 12 20-win seasons, two WNIT Final Four appearances, and captured the 2008-09 WNIT championship.
– #GoBulls –
