TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The South Florida Bulls, led by a commanding all-around performance from guard Stefanie Ingram, delivered a comprehensive 85-53 victory over the Tulane Green Wave in an American Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at the Sun Dome.

From the opening tip, South Florida established a pace and defensive intensity that Tulane could not match. The Bulls raced to a 20-8 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, methodically extending their advantage each period before a crowd of 2,918. The win improved South Florida to 14-10 overall, while Tulane fell to 8-14.

The most critical phase of the contest was its outset. Tulane’s offensive struggles were immediate and profound, managing just one field goal in the game’s first six minutes while committing four turnovers. South Florida capitalized ruthlessly, converting those early miscues into transition opportunities. A 9-0 run, capped by a L’or Mputu layup off a Stefanie Ingram assist with 6:09 left in the first, forced an early Tulane timeout and set the tone for the remainder of the afternoon. The Green Wave shot 31.1 percent from the field for the game and a dismal 45.5 percent from the free-throw line, deficiencies that made any notion of a comeback impossible against a disciplined South Florida squad.

Ingram, a 5-foot-8 guard from Orlando, Florida, was the orchestrator of the Bulls’ attack. In 31 minutes, she scored 14 points and dished out a game-high nine assists, consistently breaking down the Tulane defense and creating high-percentage shots for her teammates. Her backcourt partner, Edyn Battle of Gahanna, Ohio, added 14 points and three assists, providing constant backcourt pressure.

South Florida’s offensive balance was overwhelming. Five Bulls scored in double figures, with the frontcourt providing consistent production. Carla Brito, a 5-11 forward from Puerto del Rosario, Spain, filled the stat sheet with 13 points, five assists and a game-high four steals. Mputu, a 6-2 presence from Kinshasa, Congo, dominated inside for 14 points and two blocks, while reserve guard Jelena Bulajic of Herceg Novi, Montenegro, chipped in 13 points and four assists off the bench.

Tulane’s primary offensive bright spot was Kanija Daniel. The 5-10 guard from Carrollton, Georgia, fought for a game-high 19 points in 31 minutes, but received little consistent support. The Green Wave’s offensive rating of 70.2 on 75 possessions underscored a night of inefficiency, compounded by 16 turnovers that South Florida converted into 24 points.

Defensively, the Bulls were equally impressive, holding Tulane to an offensive rating of 70.2. They contested shots at the rim, tallying five blocks, and harassed passing lanes for eight steals. Their own offensive execution was crisp, posting a 109.5 rating on 78 possessions, with efficient shooting from the floor (43.2 percent) and the free-throw line (85.7 percent).

The victory was a bounce-back performance for South Florida, which suffered a narrow two-point loss at East Carolina in its previous outing. Tulane, meanwhile, dropped its third consecutive contest, having lost close games to Temple and Charlotte prior to this weekend’s trip to Florida.

South Florida will look to build on this performance when it hosts Tulsa on Wednesday. Tulane returns home to face East Carolina on Tuesday, seeking to halt its skid. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in the regular-season finale at Tulane on March 7.