USF women’s basketball dominates UTSA: ‘No way we could lose’

As the Bulls led by one with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, graduate guard Sammie Puisis buried a three that sent the Yuengling Center into a frenzy.
From there, the Bulls (14-8, 7-2 AAC) carried the momentum en route to a 75-63 victory on Wednesday night.
The win against UTSA (17-3, 8-1 AAC), who was at the top of the American Athletic Conference, marks the Bulls’ seventh victory in conference play.
The 12-point loss marks the Roadrunner’s largest loss of the season. They entered the game undefeated in conference play.
“We had two losses and they were undefeated,” Puisis said. “We knew it was big.”
The win comes in the midst of a three-game winning streak by the Bulls as they make an effort to sit atop the AAC.
USF made its presence felt early, pulling in 17 rebounds in the first half. The Bulls finished the game with 31 rebounds.
Early defensive basketball led to seven UTSA turnovers throughout the first half.
USF struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 1-8 in the first two quarters. However, the Bulls made up for it with 12 points in the paint.
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“They were really jamming us on the three-point line,” head coach Jose Fernandez said. “We were able to get it and go downhill.”
Still, the Bulls matched their output on offense, taking a three-point lead into the break.
Senior Romi Levy provided meaningful minutes off the bench, shooting 9-11 from the field. She finished with 21 points.
Levy surpassed her season high of 15 points against Northwestern State on Dec. 17.
“I think we were all in the mindset that there was no way we would lose that game,” Levy said.
Puisis shined, finishing the game with 16 points and four rebounds.
The win was Puisis’ 17th double digit scoring outing this season.
The Bulls’ win came as a group effort, as three players scored 14 or more points.
USF also passed the ball well, leading to 24 assists. Eleven assists came from graduate guard Mama Dembele.
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“I felt like the ball moved and we got it to the right place,” Fernandez said.
The Bulls pulled away in the fourth quarter, going on a 16-9 run in the last seven minutes of the game.
USF attempted to drain the clock but was met with a strong UTSA press.
“The clock is on our side,” Puisis said. “They sped us up and we started to get easy baskets.”
The win propelled USF to the third spot in the AAC, surpassing Tulane. The Bulls are two games back from first place in the conference.
USF returns to the Yuengling Center at 2 p.m. Feb. 1 to take on the North Texas Mean Green. The game will be available on ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited.