USF Women’s Basketball Falls to Houston 54-52

Despite a 21-point performance from redshirt sophomore Enna Pehadzic, the USF women’s basketball team fell short 54-52 to Houston on Sunday afternoon at the Yuengling Center.

“Our two go-to guys are in street clothes,” head coach Jose Fernandez said. “We just struggle to make plays down the stretch where we can throw it to somebody that can go get us a basket.”

The Bulls (12-12, 3-7 AAC) fell behind by as much as eight in the first quarter before rallying in the second to trim the deficit to just one at halftime, 29-28.

Fueled by a couple Pehadzic three-balls, USF finished the third quarter on a 10-2 run to grab a 42-39 lead entering the final period.

The Denmark native finished with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds and knocked down three triples.

With USF leading by five midway through the fourth quarter, the Cougars (12-11, 5-5 AAC) took off on an 11-0 run to create some distance. The Bulls had a chance to tie on their final possession at the buzzer, but an Elisa Pinzan jumper missed wildly.

Next, USF hosts Tulsa on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Notables:

• The Bulls outrebounded the Cougars 45-34, including 22-12 on the offensive side.
• Junior Tamara Henshaw added seven points, two assists and three steals while sophomore Shae Leverett had nine points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.