USF’s Fernandez’s 25th anniversary spoiled by loss against Vanderbilt

*Sophomore guard Vittoria Blasigh drives past a defender in Thursday’s loss versus Vanderbilt. ORACLE PHOTO/LILY FOX*

On the 25th anniversary of his hiring as head coach, Jose Fernandez and the USF women’s basketball team fell to Vanderbilt 62-49 in the Yuengling Center.

The Bulls (2-2), trailed by only two at the end of the first quarter on Thursday, but were outscored 43-32 the remainder of the game.

Fernandez said he appreciated the kind words he received in a pregame video tribute, as he values the personal impact he made over career success.

“Seeing that meant more to me than winning,” Fernandez said. “We’ve been very successful here, but I think it means more the impact that you make on someone’s life while they’re here.”

Thursday night’s celebration quickly turned sour as senior forwards Romi Levy and L’or Mputu collided in the first quarter as they went up for a rebound. Levy suffered a nose bleed and did not appear again in the match.

Fernandez said losing Levy, last year’s leading scorer, early “hurt” the team.

After Levy left, the Bulls had a poor offensive showing, shooting below 40% from the field, including just 22% from the three-point line.

Fernandez said the team’s carelessness with the ball was a key factor in the defeat.

“The one striking thing was the 23 turnovers, and 14 or 15 of those came from our four and five spots,” Fernandez said. “That can’t happen.”

*USF women’s basketball head coach Jose Fernandez was gifted a painting by Jessica Hass for the 25th anniversary of his hiring. ORACLE PHOTO/LILY FOX*

Mputu and graduate forward Sammie Puisis combined for 13 turnovers in the game. Puisis said there is a need for improvement within the team if they want to beat tough opponents.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t play how we wanted to play, so we just need to be better,” Puisis said. “It’s a long season, so there’s a lot of growth that needs to happen.”

USF’s remaining schedule has three more ranked opponents, including a match against No.1 South Carolina.

Despite back-to-back losses, Fernandez said he isn’t worried about his team going forward.

“I’m not panicking,” Fernandez said. “I think we got the right people in the locker room. We got the right people in the program.

The Bulls will have a chance to get back in the win column Sunday, as they face Texas Rio-Grande Valley at home.

USF will face Texas Rio-Grande Valley at 2 p.m. Sunday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus and Bulls Unlimited.