No. 23 South Florida women hand Temple 1st league loss 55-51

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Kitija Laksa scored 16 points, Ariadna Pujol made a clinching free throw with 1.6 seconds left and No. 23 South Florida escaped with a 55-51 win over Temple on Sunday after blowing most of a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter.

The Owls, who had won 11 straight, missed three 3-pointers on their final possession before Pujol finally secured the rebound and was fouled.

Maria Jespersen added 13 points and Tamara Henshaw had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls (17-3, 6-1 American Athletic), who lost at Temple last year on a buzzer-beating putback when they were ranked 19th.

Feyonda Fitzgerald led Temple (16-4, 6-1) with 14 points, Alliya Butts added 12 and Khadijah Berger 11. Temple made four of its five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to rally from a 47-31 deficit with 8:09 remaining. Berger scored eight-straight points to cut the lead in half. Butts hit a 3 at 4:46 to make it 49-44 and Berger hit her third 3 at 1:45 and it was 51-49.

Jespersen answered with a putback before Butts' steal and layup with 34.4 left. Berger missed a 3 after USF's third turnover in the final minute. Jespersen made one free throw at 24.8 seconds before Fitzgerald, Butts and Berger missed 3s.