GoUSFBulls.com BULLS RALLY PAST SMU TO REACH CONFERENCE SEMIS

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: March 4, 2017

 

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BULLS RALLY PAST SMU TO REACH CONFERENCE SEMIS

 

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

 

UNCASVILLE, Conn., MARCH 4, 2017 – USF erased a five-point deficit in the final seven minutes and rallied past SMU, 62-55, Saturday night in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals at Mohegan Sun Arena.

No. 3 seed USF (23-7) has reached The American semifinals for the fourth consecutive season and will face second-seeded Temple 7:30 p.m. Sunday (TV: ESPNU).

 

Come March, the mantra is “survive and advance,” and the Bulls got the job done with a late 8-0 run against sixth-seeded SMU (17-14). Kitija Laksa (Riga, Latvia) led the Bulls with 17 points and her third 3-pointer tied the game up at 53-53 with 2:54 remaining.

 

Conference freshman of the year Tamara Henshaw (Palm Coast, Fla.) scored all eight of her points in the second half and put USF ahead 50 seconds after Laksa’s clutch bucket.

 

Laia Flores (Mataro, Spain) knocked down another huge 3-pointer with 1:18 left to cap off the 8-0 run. The junior point guard scored 10 of her 15 points in the second half to go along with eight rebounds and six assists.

 

Flores put the game out of reach with a pair of free throws after Ariadna Pujol (Mataro, Spain) blocked SMU’s chances of a game-tying 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining.

 

Maria Jespersen (Arhus, Denmark) also helped fuel another memorable USF comeback with 14 points and a pair of important 3-pointers in the second half. The first team all-conference forward added six rebounds and one of two USF blocks.

 

Before having to rally, USF scored 16 points in the paint and headed into halftime ahead, 24-23, despite going 1-for-10 from long range.

 

One of those tough baskets was made in crunch time, when Pujol gave USF an 11-9 lead with a buzzer-beating layup to end the first quarter. Laksa’s lone 3-pointer of the first half gave the Bulls a 20-15 advantage in the second quarter, but SMU made five straight field goals to keep things close heading into the break.

 

USF headed into the fourth quarter trailing, 44-39, after SMU made five of its final seven shots of the third quarter. Jespersen’s 3-pointer spotted USF a 35-32 lead, but the Bulls closed the third quarter on a two-minute scoring drought.

 

Points weren’t a problem for the Bulls in the fourth quarter. USF headed to the conference semifinals with some momentum after outscoring SMU, 23-11, in the final period.

 

Key Stats

23-11 – The scoring margin in the fourth quarter in favor of USF, which rallied past SMU for the second time this season.

4-for-5 – USF shot 80 percent from long range in the fourth quarter to flip the script that started with a six-point deficit in the period.

 

Notables

- USF has advanced to the conference semifinals for the fourth consecutive season. The Bulls are looking to book a trip to the league championship game for the third straight year.

- USF improved to 6-3 at the American Athletic Conference Championship.

- USF is now within four wins of matching the program’s season wins record of 27 set back in 2014-15.

- The Bulls improved to 2-0 against SMU this season after defeating the Mustangs, 52-51, in Dallas on Jan. 25.

 

Up Next

USF will face second-seeded Temple for the third time this season in Sunday’s second semifinal at 7:30 p.m.(TV: ESPNU).

 

Head coach Jose Fernandez’s Bulls are 1-1 against Temple this season and defeated the Owls, 64-46, last March to advance to the conference championship game.

 

[DELdaBull]

Let's beat Temple. I want UCONN one more again. 

[Apis Bull]

We're probably an 8-9 seed now.  Where do you guys think we could get if we beat Temple?  6-7?  What if we were to pull off the improbable and beat UConn?

[79 Bull]

ESPN bracketology has us as a 9 seed which really sucks as 8-9 winner plays number 1 seed in the second game.  Moving up to 7 or down to 10 would be much preferred. Go Bulls!

[dantheusfman]

7 minutes ago, Apis Bull said:

We're probably an 8-9 seed now.  Where do you guys think we could get if we beat Temple?  6-7?  What if we were to pull off the improbable and beat UConn?

Beat Temple: 7 seed and Temple drops to 8

Beat UConn: Automatic Bye to the Sweet 16.

[bullsfan27]

If we beat temple we probably will be a 7 seed. Now if we either beat uconn or have a strong showing such as a 3 point loss we might be a 5 seed

[bullsbucsfan426]

I could see a 7 seed if we beat Temple, 6 if the cards fall right. Either way, I would much rather play #3 or #2 than #1 (assuming we get through the first round). If we beat UConn I think a 5 or 6 seed is almost guaranteed. It wouldn't be enough to erase all the bad losses this season and get to #4. 

[BullyPulpit]

I would rather lose to Temple and get a 10 seed than beat Temple and somehow get stuck with an 8 seed.  That being said, I would think a win over Temple would be enough to earn a 7 seed.  

[206BULL]

Up 3 at the half vs Temple. Henshaw having herself a game with 15 points already.