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Returning home for the first time since November 20 and on the heels of a road loss at Oklahoma last week, the #22 USF Bulls gored the Southern University Jaguars 108-48 on Friday night at the Sun Dome.
The Bulls shot 61% from the floor and it was Kitjia Laksa again leading the charge. Laksa’s only miss from three-point range came in the opening minute of the game before she quickly knocked down three consecutive shots from behind the arc to give the Bulls an early advantage. And boy, was there more from where that came from. A lot more.
Laksa knocked down a career-high eleven three-pointers and finished with a career-high FORTY (40) points falling just four shy of the school record. Laksa had 29 of those points at the break and it was a 60-18 USF lead at halftime. She was pulled from the game late in the third quarter.
Kitija Laksa checks out to a standing ovation. She has 40 points (!!!), the #USF record is 44. Laksa has set new career-high in both points and three-pointers made with 13. My goodness. Bulls lead Southern 92-36 at the end of 3Q.
— The Daily Stampede (@StampedeSBN) December 16, 2017
Sophomore transfer Alyssa Rader played the majority of the game after questions arose last week about the handling of her eligibility.
Rader, the Big Sky Conference’s Outstanding Freshman at Northern Arizona in 2015-2016, played 19 minutes and finished with 13 points, she was five-of-eight from three. Rader sure looks to be the big (literally), calming influence in the middle the Bulls have been seeking the last few seasons.
Redshirt guard Enna Pehadzic of Denmark also some saw action in the rout, playing 10 minutes and collecting four rebounds. It was just the second time she’s played more than ten minutes since returning from a torn ACL that forced her to miss all of last season.
Senior Laia Flores finished off her first career double-double scoring 14 points and adding 11 assists. Flores was a perfect four-of-four from three-point range. The Bulls shot 68% (21-of-31) as a team from long distance in the game.
The Bulls held the Jags to just 3-of-19 shooting from three. They spent a large portion of practice Tuesday working on closing out on shooters at the three-point line after Oklahoma and George Washington torched them from beyond the arc.
USF broke the program record for three-point field goals made in a single game with 21 total.
The Bulls (8-2) will hit the road again for a Sunday afternoon contest against FIU in Fort Lauderdale before a trip to New Orleans for the New Orleans Shootout next Wednesday and Thursday for two games against Dayton and Michigan State.