The Bulls look to stay undefeated at the Yuengling Center as they host the Bearcats on ESPN2 at 2 p.m.
TAMPA (Jan. 3, 2020) – USF returns to the Yuengling Center to begin American Athletic Conference play, and close out its post-holiday home stretch, when it hosts Cincinnati on Sunday at 2 p.m. (ESPN2). The Bulls, who aim for their fourth win in the last six games, look to remain undefeated at home this season (8-0).
Sunday will also mark USF’s annual Salute to Service game. All current active members of the military, or first responders, can receive free tickets, by going to VetTix.com. In addition, the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a camouflage bandana.
GAME 15 | SUN., JAN. 5, 2020 | 2 P.M. | TAMPA, FLA. | YUENGLING CENTER | ESPN2
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: ESPN2
Tiffany Greene (PxP), Renee Montgomery (Analyst)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com)
Darek Sharp (PxP), Brigid Merenda (Analyst)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Series: USF leads, 18-16
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
Tickets: (800) Go-Bulls; USFBullsTix.com
USF BULLS | 8-6
Last Game: Dec. 30 vs. Brown, W, 70-60
Next Game: Jan. 12 at Tulsa, 6 p.m. ET
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 362-265 (20th season)
at USF: Same
CINCINNATI BEARCATS | 9-4
Last Game: Dec. 30 vs. Coppin State, W, 86-40
Next Game: Jan. 8 at Memphis, 8 p.m. ET
Head Coach: Michelle Clark-Heard
Alma Mater: Western Kentucky, 1990
Career Record: 211-95 (10th Season)
at Cincinnati: 33-15 (Second Season)
QUICK HITS
– USF comes into the Cincinnati game looking for its sixth straight conference opening win, and to improve to 6-1 in American Athletic Conference openers … The Bulls are 10-9 in league openers under Jose Fernandez.
– USF is coming off a 70-60 win over Brown on Dec. 30 in its nonconference finale … Elena Tsineke scored a team-high 17 points while Bethy Mununga and Kristyna Brabencova added 16 points apiece … Mununga also grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.
– USF has two players – Elena Tsineke (12.1) and Bethy Mununga (10.9) – who are averaging double-figure points, and four others who are netting no less than 7.2 points per game.
TICKET & PROMOTION INFORMATION
– For ticket questions or to purchase tickets, please visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-GoBulls … Single-game tickets are available; however; courtside seats are sold out for the 2019-20 season.
– USF’s American Athletic Conference opener on Jan. 5, at 2 p.m., will be the Bulls’ Salute to Service game … All current active members of the military, or first responders can receive free tickets, by going to VetTix.com … In addition, the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a camouflage bandana.
UP NEXT FOR USF
– After the Bulls’ American Athletic Conference lid-lifter against the Bearcats, they will hit the road for two straight, beginning at Tulsa on Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. ET … USF closes out the back-to-back road tilts at Temple on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
– The Bulls will return to the Yuengling Center on Jan. 19, when they face UCF in the first of two editions of the “War on I-4” … Tip-off against the Knights is slated for 3 p.m. (ESPN2).
A QUICK LOOK AT THE BULLS
– In just nine games, Elena Tsineke has already made her presence felt for the Bulls after being cleared to play by the NCAA … Tsineke missed the first five games of the season after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA … A native of Greece, Tsineke leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game … She has scored double figures in seven of the nine games she has played, including a career-high 19 points against Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 29 in the Cancun Challenge … She is shooting 41.1 percent (37-for-96) from the field, including 34.1 percent (15-for-44) from behind the arc, and 83.3 percent (20-for-24) from the free-throw line.
– Bethy Mununga comes into Sunday’s game averaging just shy of a double-double in the 11 games she has played this season … She missed the three games – Idaho, Mississippi State and UNLV
– with a hamstring injury … Her 10.9 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per outing are second and first on the team, respectively … She has scored in double figures in seven of the 11 games played, including career-highs of 16 points at Baylor (Nov. 19) and against Brown (Dec. 30) … She’s shooting 57.6 percent (50-for-95) from the field on the year.
– Mununga has recorded a double-double in six of the 11 games she has played in … She is second in The American, and 25th in the nation, in double-doubles through Jan. 2 … She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight games this season.
– Freshman Maria Alvarez moved into third on the team in scoring after her game-high 18-point performance against Alabama State on Dec. 6 … She is currently averaging 9.3 points per game, and is also second in assists, dropping 3.3 dimes per game … She recorded a career afternoon, pouring in 20 points against VCU on Nov. 15 … Alvarez posted a 14-point effort against Idaho, on Dec. 15, with 12 of her 14 points coming in the fourth quarter on 4-for-4 shooting … She drained back-to-back threes in the last two minutes of the game to secure the win over the Vandals.
– Alvarez’s 34 three-point field goals made are third in The American and 47th in the nation through Jan. 2.
– Tamara Henshaw, second on the Bulls in rebounding, comes into the game against Cincinnati with 796 career rebounds, moving past Keira Rozier (1992-95) and her 770 rebounds – during the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas – for sole possession of eighth all-time in program history … After her 10 rebounds against Brown on Dec. 30, she is four rebounds shy of becoming just the eighth player in program history to record 800 career rebounds.
– Henshaw is fourth in The American in total rebounds with 110, and eighth in the AAC in rebounds per game, grabbing 7.9 per outing.
SCOUTING CINCINNATI
– Cincinnati comes into its game with USF with a 9-4 record and has won its last six games after going 3-4 to start the season … Included in the six wins are victories over VCU (58-56), at Xavier (85-78) and Pittsburgh (69-53).
– The Bearcats have three players averaging in double figures in the scoring column, led by Iimar’i Thomas, averaging 19.2 points per game to go along with her team-high 8.4 rebounds per outing … Joining Thomas averaging double figures are Antoinette Miller and Angel Rizor, averaging 13.2 and 10.8 points per game, respectively.
THE SERIES AGAINST THE BEARCATS
– Sunday’s game marks the 35th meeting between USF and Cincinnati with the Bulls leading the all-time series, 18-16 … USF has won 11 of the last 13 games, and are 16-6 in the last 22 meetings against the Bearcats.
– USF holds a slight 10-8 advantage in games played at the Yuengling Center, and have won six of its last seven played on its home floor.
About USF Women’s Basketball
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF women’s basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
USF notched its eighth consecutive 19-win season and eighth straight postseason appearance in 2018-19. The Bulls celebrated two all-conference honorees in Enna Pehadzic and Sydni Harvey.
USF has made 15 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 19 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 350 games.
– #GoBulls –
