CHAMP CENTRAL
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The No. 3 seed USF Bulls held on for a dramatic 62-55 victory over the No. 6 seed SMU Mustangs in the quarterfinals round of the 2017 Frontier Communications American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair, with the Mustangs holding a 45-39 lead with 8:49 to play. A 3-pointer by USF’s Kitija Laksa with just over eight minutes left sparked a 19-10 run by the Bulls over the next seven minutes, giving them a five-point lead. USF pulled away down the stretch and finished off with a 62-55 victory.
The Bulls were led by Laksa, who scored a team-high 17 points. It was her 12
th double-figure scoring game in a row, and her 28
th of the season. McKenzie Adams paced SMU with a game-high 26 points, her best effort since scoring a career-high 32 at Cincinnati on Jan. 17, 2017.
USF advances to play No. 2 seed Temple in Sunday’s second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU/WatchESPN).