Tampa, Fla. – Feb. 12, 2025 – South Florida women’s basketball (17-8, 10-2 AAC) took Rice (12-12, 5-7 AAC) wire-to-wire and won, 82-77 in triple overtime in the Yuengling Center on Wednesday night. The triple overtime was the first time the Bulls have seen such action in the Coach Fernandez era. With the win, USF is now back on a six-game win streak, matching its previous win streak from earlier this season.
Graduate guard Sammie Puisis (17 points) paced the Bulls and knocked down four 3-pointers, which marked her 14th game of the season of three or more 3-pointers. Junior forward Carla Brito (16 points, 10 rebounds) collared her fifth double-double of the season (ninth career). Senior forward L’or Mputu (10 points, five rebounds) and redshirt senior guard Romi Levy (10 points, eight rebounds, three assists) rounded out the Bulls in double-digit points. Graduate guard Mama Dembele dished out 11 assists for the second time this campaign. Sophomore forward Fatou Diakite added a season-best nine points and seven boards.
Rice was led by Aniah Alexis with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
HOW THE GAME WAS DECIDED
As time expired in regulation, Puisis connected one of her most crucial 3-pointers of the night, sending the contest into its second overtime game of the season, 61-all. It then became a true game of runs, which carried on throughout a trio of overtime periods.
In the third and eventual final overtime, USF used five unanswered points to secure the victory. Puisis knocked down her fourth triple of the night and Diakite sealed the game with two makes at the charity stripe, 82-77.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- USF played and won its first ever three overtime game in the Coach Fernandez Era, the first 3OT was a 102-96 win against Alabama St. (Jan. 22, 1984).
- The Bulls are 2-0 in overtime games this year and 34-15 all-time in overtime.
- The Bulls are on a six-game win streak, matching their previous six-game win streak from earlier this season.
- South Florida is now 13-2 at home this season.
- Puisis (17 points) paced the Bulls and knocked down four 3-pointers, which marked her 14th game of the season of three or more 3-pointers. It is also her 22nd game for USF with four or more made 3-ponters.
- Brito (16 points, 10 rebounds) collared her fifth double-double of the season (ninth career).
- Mputu (10 points, five rebounds) and Levy (10 points, eight rebounds, three assists) rounded out the Bulls in double-digit points.
- Dembele dished out 11 assists for the second time this campaign.
- Dembele is the first DI (men’s or women’s), NBA or WNBA player this century to have 50+ minutes played, 10+ assists, 3+ steals, and zero turnovers in a game
- Diakite added a season-best nine points and seven boards.
- USF locked in its second straight sweep of a conference this season, both of which have Owl mascots (Temple, Rice).
UP NEXT
South Florida heads to Boca Raton for its second meeting of the year with Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Feb. 15. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m., and the action will stream live on ESPN+.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase women’s basketball tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at USFBullsTix.com.
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ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
South Florida women’s basketball has made 18 postseason tournament appearances and had nine 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 11 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2008-09 WNIT championship, has won over 450 career games, and is the all-time wins leader in the American Athletic Conference.
– #GoBulls –
