TAMPA, Fla. — USF’s path to the NCAA Tournament has been paved brick by brick.

And the journey can be traced all the way back to the first two months of the season.

What You Need To Know

  •  The USF women's basketball team punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a win over Rice in the AAC Championship game.

  •  The Bulls will face Tennessee in the first round of the tournament. 

  •  Coach Jose Fernandez credits a bulked up scheduled in November and December for getting them to the dance.

In that span, the Bulls played four ranked opponents, including UConn, South Carolina and Duke. It helped set them up for the road they are on now.

“I knew all along this was a tournament team, and that’s why we scheduled the way we scheduled in November and December,” Head Coach Jose Fernandez said.

The strength of schedule has made this team strong at a critical time as they prepare for their first-round opponent, Tennessee. The Bulls drew the No. 12 seed in Region 3 and they open the tournament having won 12 of their last 14 games. It’s the kind momentum that can fuel a long run.

“I feel like everyone brings so many different things,” USF point guard Mama Dembele said. “And the moment we are all in the same page, I feel like we’re kind of unstoppable.

The Bulls took three straight days to win three straight games to claim the AAC Championship and secure the automatic berth into the tournament. It’s the 10th time in the program’s history they have punched their ticket to the dance. One thing they’ve never done, advance to the second weekend. USF is seeking its one shining moment.

“Everyone is going to have their own moment,” Dembele said. “So it’s time to shine, to step up, and to just have so much fun. I think when we have fun is when we’re at our best.”