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.
