Next game: USF (20-10, 13-4) at Tulane (16-11, 9-7)
When: Thursday, March 6, 7:30 p.m.
TV/radio: ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited
The good news for the USF women’s basketball team is that their goals for this season remain achievable. The Bulls can win the American Athletic Conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament.
However, a team riding a crest just a few days ago has some reckoning to do with itself. The Bulls dropped their second game in a row Saturday on Senior Night at home, falling to East Carolina 66-57.
Final from the YC.#HornsUp 🤘 | #RunWithUs pic.twitter.com/OcasAhOz0P
— USF Women's Basketball (@USFWBB) March 2, 2025
Senior Night is supposed to be a celebration, but the Pirates were the ones jumping for joy after their upset win.
“I told the guys, you can prepare and put guys in the right situations. But I just thought once we got down, we didn't make the use of possessions, and we took some really, really bad shots,” USF coach Jose Fernandez said. “That usually happens when things are not going well, and it was very uncharacteristic of us.
“Here's the thing: when you've won seven straight Senior Nights and nine out of the last 10, the only one we lost was Connecticut. Senior Night means something, and protecting your floor means something.”
The last two games – losses at Tulsa and to East Carolina after winning nine games in a row – raise red flags about the Bulls’ chances going forward. Teams want to play their best basketball in March, which is not the case with USF now.
“We have not lost to East Carolina in a long time, same as Tulsa,” Fernandez said. “We were 14 and two against Tulsa; the last two losses have been this year and last year. I don't know if this team fails to grasp the success that this program has had.”
Another red flag is the fact East Carolina outrebounded the Bulls 43-34 and had 16 second-chance points compared to nine for USF.
Fernandez also noted that his team was beaten on a lot of 50-50 balls and took too many bad shots.
“Some of our guys took shots that they don't practice and they shouldn't take,” he said. “There's a reason why some of our guys are open. They (East Carolina) want them to shoot the ball.”
Those bad shots left USF in a poor position on transition defense. Add it up and it is not a pretty picture for a team that had such high expectations entering the season.
There is time to get back on track, but Fernandez knows things have to change in a hurry.
“Give East Carolina a lot of credit. They played with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and you know, we deserved the last two games,” he said.
“We haven't lost. We've gotten beat. There's a difference between getting beat and losing.”