Prior to USF head coach Jose Fernandez's arrival in 2000, the Bulls totaled seven winning seasons in their 28-year history. Since then, Fernandez has guided the Bulls to 12 postseason appearances, seven twenty-win seasons and a perennial power in the national polls. On Tuesday night, the all-time winningest coach in USF basketball history reached another milestone, 300 career wins, in the Bulls’ 79-49 victory over visiting Memphis at the Sun Dome.
A second half surge pushed USF (15-2, 4-1 The American) to its seventh 25-plus point win this season. The Bulls turned in 25 points in the third quarter and shot 71-percent. Maria Jespersen turned in 11 of her 26 points and went a perfect 4-for-4, including 2-for-2 mark from behind the arc. Jespersen finished with eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Ariadna Pujol, Laia Flores and Kitija Laksa all joined Jespersen in double-figures. Pujol turned in 17 points and 10 rebounds for her second career double-double. Flores chipped in 11 points, four assists while Laksa added 10 points.
Cheyenne Creighton and Taylor Williams each scored 13 points for Memphis (8-10, 1-3 The American), which stayed within striking distance until the half. The Tigers inched within four in the second quarter, but a 9-0 run by USF in the first two minutes of the second half stretched its lead to 17 and the Bulls never looked back.