USF women’s basketball struggles in late season matchup against East Carolina
As the Bulls set their sights on the American Athletic Conference tournament, they hit a roadblock against the East Carolina Pirates.
The Bulls (20-10, 13-4 AAC) lost 57-66 Saturday, which marks their second straight loss following a nine-game win streak.
The loss came in the midst of a late season push towards the NCAA tournament. Previously on the brink of March Madness, the Bulls loss to ECU (16-13, 8-9 AAC) almost certainly eliminates any chance of an at-large bid.
The Bulls were considered one of the first four teams out before their two losses, according to ESPN. Now, with the losses, teams behind them have likely passed the Bulls in the eyes of the NCAA committee.
Related: USF’s Jose Fernandez on March Madness hopes: ‘Do what we need to do’
The Bulls missed out on the NCAA tournament last season, the first time since 2019. However, having secured a first-round bye, USF could be poised to make a run in the American Athletic Tournament.
A win in the conference tournament would make the Bulls chance at an at-large bid irrelevant, as conference champions are granted an automatic spot in the NCAA tournament.
The Bulls struggled early, scoring only seven points in the first quarter. USF made just three of its 13 field goal attempts in the first 10 minutes.
“Our guys were taking shots they don’t practice,” head coach Jose Fernandez said. “They shouldn’t take it.”
Graduate guard Sammie Puisis opened the second quarter with a pair of buckets that gave the Bulls offense life.
On defense, the story was not the same. The Bulls gave up points early and often, allowing the Pirates to score 31 in the first half.
Still, behind a 10-point performance from Puisis, USF went into the break down three. Puisis finished the game with 15 points.
“My teammates did a great job finding me,” Puisis said. “Somedays you just don’t knock them down.”
Both teams struggled to maintain possession of the ball, leading to 33 combined turnovers. Fifteen of those turnovers were on the Bulls.
USF struggled to keep up with the Pirates physically, committing 21 fouls. Senior forward L’or Mputu, sophomore forward Fatou Diakite and junior forward Carla Brito all had three or more fouls.
Diakite fouled out with 8:12 left in the fourth quarter.
“We tried everything,” Fernandez said. “Everytime we made a switch, East Carolina answered.”
Following a Diakite foul late in the third, the Pirates pushed their lead up to seven with a layup. The Bulls couldn’t seem to close the distance on East Carolina.
Related: USF’s Archie, Garcia-Soto make Oracle’s player of the week
A previously raucous pro-Bulls crowd had the life taken out of it as the Pirates recovered a pair of offensive rebounds and converted it into points, something South Florida had struggled to do throughout the night.
The Bulls scored just nine second chance points, compared to East Carolina’s 16.
As time expired, the Bulls would drop their fourth conference loss this season.
The Bulls matchup against Tulane will take place March 6, just two days before the AAC tournament. Originally, the matchup was scheduled for Jan. 22, but was postponed due to icy conditions at New Orleans International Airport.
USF travels to New Orleans to take on Tulane 7:30 p.m. March 6. The game will be available on ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited.
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