Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu pours in a career-high tying 26 points while Sammie Puisis adds 16 points.
Game Details
-/RV USF 75, La Salle 50
USF (10-3), La Salle (8-5)
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
TAMPA (Dec. 17, 2022) — The University of South Florida women’s basketball team got a game and career-high tying 26 points from Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, 16 points from Sammie Puisis and a season-high 12 points from Priscilla Williams as the Bulls defeated La Salle, 75-50, on Saturday afternoon at the Yuengling Center in their nonconference home finale.
The win improved the Bulls to 10-3 on the year while the Explorers fall to 8-5. The Green and Gold also finish the home nonconference portion of its schedule with a perfect 7-0 record.
South Florida led at the break, 36-28, and then proceeded to outscore the Explorers, 17-10 in the third and 22-12 in the fourth en route to the win. The Bulls scored the first seven points of the second half to open the game up on a turnaround jumper by Fankam Mendjiadeu with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter. That gave the Green and Gold a 15-point, 43-28, advantage and never looked back.
South Florida extended its lead to as many as 25 points, 72-47, on a driving layup with 2:23 left in the contest and then with 22 seconds remaining when Williams hit her fourth three-pointer of the day for the final margin.
Also netting double-digits in the scoring column was Elena Tsineke with 10 points to go along with a career-high nine rebounds and six assists.
Notable
- Saturday’s starters for the Bulls were: G Elena Tsineke, G Aerial Wilson, F Daniela Gonzalez, F Carla Brito and F Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu … The Bulls are 1-0 with this lineup.
- South Florida’s 75-50 win over La Salle improves its record to 2-0 in the all-time series.
- Elena Tsineke’s 10 points against La Salle mark her 69th career double-figure scoring game in her 92nd career game with the Bulls.
- Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu’s 26 points and 12 rebounds mark her 40th career double-double and her 15th game in a South Florida uniform.
- Daniela Gonzalez got her first career start with the Bulls.
Up Next
The Bulls close out the nonconference portion of their schedule when they head to the West Coast for the San Diego Invitational, Dec. 20-21, at Pechanga Arena. South Florida opens the two-game event against current No. 3/4 Ohio State on day one at 6:30 p.m. ET, and then either No. 16/15 Oregon or 21/22 Arkansas on day two.
South Florida begins American Athletic Conference play following the holiday break when it travels to New Orleans to face Tulane on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+), and then returns to the Yuengling Center on Jan. 3 to take on Temple at 5 p.m. (ESPNU).
Catch The Bulls on Bulls Unlimited & ESPN+
The majority of USF’s regular-season games will be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform. The American Athletic Conference and ESPN began a new 12-year television rights agreement which started in 2020-21. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
In addition, all games this season will be broadcast live on USF Bulls Unlimited, with Darek Sharp (home and away) and Brigid Merenda (for home games only) on the call. Bulls Unlimited is available via the free Tune In app (search “Bulls Unlimited’’) and provides static-free quality whether you’re listening on your streaming device, laptop or desktop.
About USF Women’s Basketball
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South Florida recorded its 10th 20-win season during the 2021-22 campaign while playing in its sixth American Athletic Conference championship game in its nine years in the conference. The Bulls achieved their highest national ranking of the season when it checked in at No. 13 in the Nov. 30 Associated Press Top 25 Poll, and advanced to their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in the last nine years.
USF has made 17 postseason tournament appearances and had eight NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 22 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to 10 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship, and has won over 400 career games. Fernandez was named a finalist for the WBCA and semifinalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Awards. He was also tabbed the 2021 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2020-21 campaign.
In 2021-22, the Bulls had three players recognized by The American for impressive seasons, including Elena Tsineke (All-Conference First Team), Bethy Mununga (All-Conference Second Team) and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (All-Conference Second Team).
In addition, Tsineke and Mununga were named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team.
–#GoBulls –
