Pehadzic scores game-high 20 points, Mununga posts double-double in USF’s 70-39 home victory at the Yuengling Center on Tuesday night.
RV/RV USF 70, Jacksonville 39
TAMPA (Nov. 5, 2019) – Enna Pehadzic scored a game-high 20 points and Bethy Mununga had a double-double as USF overpowered Jacksonville in a 70-39 victory to open the 2019-20 season, presented by CenterState Bank, on Tuesday night.
Pehadzic (Horsens, Denmark) went 6-for-9 from long range and posted her eighth career 20-plus point game to help the Bulls extend their season-opening win streak to six.
Mununga (Zellik, Belgium) had a memorable USF debut with 11 points and 12 rebounds while the Bulls dominated on the glass by a 63-31 margin.
Freshman guard Maria Alvarez (Bal Harbour, Fla.) jumped on the college scene with 11 points, including a trio of three-pointers, five assists and two of USF’s six steals. Sophomore point guard Elisa Pinzan (Murano, Italy) also had a solid outing with nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Sophomore center Beatriz Jordao (Pombal, Portugal) registered eight points and two rebounds in nine minutes after missing most of last season with an injury.
USF limited Jacksonville to a 25-percent shooting performance (15-for-61) and got two blocks apiece from senior forward Tamara Henshaw (Palm Coast, Fla.) along with freshman wings Kristyna Brabencova (Brno, Czech Republic) and Cristina Bermejo (Sant Just Desvern, Spain).
Score By Quarters
1 2 3 4 F
USF 16 17 21 16 70
Jacksonville 5 17 13 4 39
Key Stat
63 – USF ruled the boards by a 63-31 margin. The Bulls tied for the eighth-most rebounds in program single-game history.
28 – The Bulls scored 28 points in the paint, 14 in each half.
15-for-61 – Jacksonville’s shooting success rate from the field (25 percent). The Bulls finished with seven blocks and six steals.
Notable
- USF has dominated the all-time series with Jacksonville, and now improves to 13-0 against the Dolphins dating back to the 1999-00 season … The Bulls also move to 10-0 all-time in games against JU played at USF.
- Brabencova and Mununga got the first starts of their collegiate careers tonight against Jacksonville.
- USF played all 11 players that dressed for Tuesday’s contest against Jacksonville.
- USF is now 31-17 all-time in season openers … In addition, the Bulls have won six straight season openers, are 8-3 in their last 11 and 16-5 in lid lifters over the past 21 years.
- USF head coach Jose Fernandez is 15-5 all-time in season openers since he started patrolling the sidelines for the Bulls during the 2000-01 campaign.
- The Bulls have won their last four straight season opening games at home and five of their last six … The lone set back during that five game home stretch was a 78-70 loss to No. 6/8 Maryland on Nov. 8, 2013.
Up Next
USF, who is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Top 25 polls, will gear up for its first big contest of the season when it faces No. 15/15 Texas on Friday at the Yuengling Center. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. Friday’s game against the Longhorns will be a White Out with the first 1,000 fans in attendance receiving a USF White Out T-Shirt.
– #GoBulls –
About USF Women’s Basketball
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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.
