FRESNO, Calif. – Junior Kalyn Simon scored a career-high 20 points and connected on 4 of 7 three-point attempts, but the USF women's basketball team suffered a 61-48 loss at Fresno State on Wednesday evening at the Save Mart Center.
 
Fresno State (4-2) led the majority of the contest, but USF (4-3) strung together a run at the end of the first half that carried into the third quarter where the Dons rallied back from as much as 11 down to tie the game. However, the Bulldogs' defense was able to hold off USF in the fourth quarter to hand the Dons their third road loss of the season.
 
Rachel Howard pitched in with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds for the Dons. Anna Seilund handed out a game-high five assists.
 
Tory Jacobs paced the Bulldogs offensively with 17 points, while Bego Faz Davalos tallied a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.   
 
After finishing the first quarter up by two, Fresno State climbed out ahead by 11, scoring the first six points of the second quarter and putting together an 11-2 run that gave the Bulldogs a 23-12 advantage with 4:35 to play in the first half.
 
But back-to-back threes by Simon quickly cut the deficit and helped USF head into the intermission trailing by five.
 
Trailing by eight at the 7:20 mark in the third quarter, another three by Simon helped spark a 9-2 USF run that eventually helped the Dons tie it at 35 apiece with a three by Hashima Carothers with under three minutes to play in the quarter.
 
A three by Fresno State's Candice White in the closing seconds of the third quarter gave the Bulldogs all the momentum they would need to close out the game in the fourth quarter. USF would pull within seven on Carothers' jumper with 2:46 to play, but Fresno State limited the Dons to just two more buckets from there on out.  
 
The Dons will be looking for their first road a win as they travel to take on North Dakota on Saturday at 12 p.m. Pacific Time.