With 25 seconds left in the third overtime of a hotly-contested affair against Rice, graduate guard Sammie Puisis nailed a 3-pointer from the Bulls logo to give USF their 10th in-conference win. 

From there, the Bulls (17-8, 10-2 AAC) coasted to their sixth straight win , pushing their record to 17-8 on the season. The 82-77 Bulls win on Wednesday night was the first triple-OT since 1984.  

“Sometimes you need really good players who make big plays,” head coach Jose Fernandez said after the game. “I knew it was going in.”

Related: PHOTOS: USF women’s basketball claims victory over Rice

During the first half, the Bulls struggled to get their offense started. 

Rice pressed the Bulls attack early, forcing USF to play outside of their comfort zone. 

The Bulls still had their fair share of open looks, they simply weren’t able to convert. 

USF shot 31.3% from the field, while only making two 3-pointers.

“I felt we settled too much,” Fernandez said. “We didn’t help ourselves.”

Despite making one early in the second quarter, Puisis missed four of her five attempts from beyond the arc.

Related: USF’s Sammie Puisis making waves in final season as a Bull

The same cannot be said for the Owls (12-12, 5-7 AAC) , who shot 48% on their first-half field goals. 

Still, Rice turned the ball over seven times. USF failed to capitalize, only gathering two points off Rice turnovers. 

Back to back 3-pointers by Rice shut out any Bulls chance of going into the second half with the lead.

Despite South Florida’s struggles, the Bulls kept it close, trailing 23-29 coming back from the break.

Early in the second half, USF fought to stay in the game.

The Bulls defense switched to a full court press, looking to pressure Rice into making mistakes on offense. 

“We tried to speed the game up,” Fernandez said. “The ball didn’t hit the floor for them and they executed.” 

Rice quickly took advantage, turning hard-nosed USF defense into an 11-6 run late in the third. 

Following a block by senior forward L’or Mputu, a long 2-pointer from junior forward Carla Brito brought USF within five as the third quarter came to a close. 

Related: USF’s L’or Mputu powers team’s winning streak

The leader of the Bulls’ second half charge was graduate guard Mama Dembele, who racked up four assists and four points in the third quarter. Dembele finished with nine points and 11 assists. 

USF’s defensive effort paid off in the second half, as the Bulls forced eight turnovers.

With 2:14 left in the game, a Brito jumper pulled USF within one.

Less than two minutes later a Rice 2-pointer would have sealed the deal – if not for Sammie Puisis.

As time expired, Puisis sunk a 3-pointer from the corner to force extra time. 

Overtime was a back and forth affair, leaving both teams at 65 a piece heading to double-OT. 

In the second overtime, there was more of the same as both teams were tied at 70 with 14 seconds left. 

Following a missed Rice layup with time running out, both teams would find themselves in a third overtime period. 

With 25 seconds left in the third overtime, Puisis slammed the door shut on Rice with the 3-pointer from the Bulls logo. 

“I didn’t realize I was that far out,” Puisis said. “I just shot it with confidence.” 

USF women’s basketball travels to Boca Raton to take on FAU 2 p.m. Feb 15. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited.