FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Vittoria Blasigh scored 20 points, Carla Brito added 17 and No. 3-seed South Florida defeated Rice 69-62 on Wednesday night to win the American Athletic Conference championship.
The Bulls will return to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence. It will be South Florida’s 10th trip to March Madness.
South Florida led 47-32 halfway through the third quarter before Malia Fisher scored six points in a 10-4 run that got the defending-champion Owls within 51-42 heading to the fourth quarter.
AAC Rice South Florida Basketball
Ninth-seeded Rice opened the fourth with another four points and held USF scoreless for nearly four minutes. At that point, Mama Dembele scored twice in the paint to put the Bulls back up by nine.
Fisher scored in the paint to get Rice within 62-57 with 40 seconds left, then the Bulls closed out the win by making 7 of 8 free throws.
Dembele had 13 points and eight assists and Sammie Puisis scored 12 points for the Bulls (23-10). Blasigh had six rebounds plus three assists and Brito contributed nine rebounds and three assists. South Florida made 16 of 19 free throws.
South Florida’s Sammie Puisis, left, and Carla Brito (55) guard as Rice’s Sussy Ngulefac, works to take a shot in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game during the womens final of the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Sussy Ngulefac had 19 points, Fisher 17 and Dominique Ennis 14 for Rice (17-17).
Brito scored seven points in the first quarter and Blasigh added five as the Bulls took an 18-12 lead into the second quarter. A three-point play by Blasigh put USF up 27-16 with four minutes left in the half and they went on to lead 37-26 at halftime after she closed the scoring with another jumper. Blasigh and Brito led the way with 12 points each in the first half.
South Florida never trailed and there was one tie at 2-2. ___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
Rice forward Malia Fisher (1) shoots over South Florida’s Carla Brito (55) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game during the women’s final of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
AAC Rice South Florida Basketball
Rice’s Sussy Ngulefac prepares to shoot as South Florida’s L’or Mputu (21) defends in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game during the womens final of the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
AAC Rice South Florida Basketball
Rice center Shelby Hayes, center, looks to make a pass as South Florida’s L’or Mputu, left, and Carla Brito, right defend in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game during the women’s final of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
South Florida’s L’or Mputu, center rear, celebrates sinking a basket as Rice’s Aniah Alexis, from left, Dominique Ennis (11) and Pace Rickard, right, walk past in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game during the women’s final of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Rice forward Malia Fisher, center, is fouled taking a shot as South Florida’s Mama Dembele (4) and Carla Brito (55) defend in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game during the women’s final of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
