Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu scores 22 points and has 16 rebounds in the first-round win; The Bulls will take on top-seeded South Carolina on Sunday.
Game Details
(8) RV/24 South Florida 67, (9) Marquette 65
USF (27-6), Marquette (21-11)
Friday, March 17, 2023 | 11:30 a.m. | ESPN2
Columbia, S.C. | Colonial Life Arena
USF athletics communications contributed to this report
COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 17, 2023) (AP) — Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu scored 22 points and Elena Tsineke’s jumper with 31.2 seconds left in overtime put South Florida ahead for good in a 67-65 victory over No. 9 seed Marquette to start the women’s NCAA Tournament on Friday.
The Golden Eagles (22-11) had a final look to win, but Mackenzie Hare’s 3-pointer went inside the rim and rolled out with a second to play.
“What a way to start the NCAA Tournament,” South Florida coach Jose Fernandez said.
The Bulls (27-6), who didn’t lead for the game’s first 38 minutes, rallied several times including from 47-36 down in regulation to tie their mark for wins in a season.
Breaking the record this year won’t be so easy as South Florida is likely to face the No. 1 overall seed and defending champion South Carolina, undefeated on the year and a huge favorite to advance over No. 16 seed Norfolk State in the Columbia pod’s late game.
“We have one day to prepare for them, they have one day to prepare for us,” Fernandez said. “So we’ll see.”
The Bulls appeared to have the game won at the end of the fourth quarter, ahead 59-55 after Tsineke’s 3-pointer with 31.7 to play. But Hare’s two foul shots after a South Florida turnover tied things and forced the extra session.
The lead changed hands six times in overtime, the last on Tsineke’s basket.
“This game says we just simply don’t give up,” said Tsineke, the senior who made just one of her first nine shots before heating up.
She finished with 13 points, 11 of those coming in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Fankam Mendjiadeu finished with 16 rebounds for her 24th double-double this season and 56th of her career. She became the program’s single-season rebounding record-holder with her fourth rebound of the afternoon and finished the game with 410 rebounds on the season, just two from surpassing former UConn Huskie, Napheesa Collier (2018-19, 411) for the American Athletic Conference single-season lead.
South Florida entered with a mindset on a different ending than in this building a year ago when the Bulls lost the eight-nine match up to No. 8 seed Miami in the NCAA opener of last season’s Columbia pod.
In addition to Fankam Mendjiadeu and Tsineke, South Florida got 15 points and nine rebounds from Carla Brito, and 14 points from Sammie Puisis, who also reached the 1,000-point plateau for her career (Florida State and South Florida.
Notable
- Tuesday’s starters for the Bulls were: G Elena Tsineke, G Aerial Wilson, F Sammie Puisis, F Carla Brito, and F Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu … South Florida is 25-6 with this lineup.
- With the win over Marquette, South Florida improves to 5-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament … The win is its first since a 57-53 victory over ninth-seeded Marquette in the first round in San Antonio, Texas on March 21, 2021.
- The win over Marquette improves the Bulls’ record against the Golden Eagles to 5-17 in the all-time series and extends its winning streak to three games.
- The Bulls improve to 2-1 on the year in overtime games and 31-14 all-time … South Florida has won seven of its last eight overtime games and eight of its last 10 dating back to the 2014-15 season.
- Elena Tsineke’s 13 points against Marquette mark her 88th career double-figure scoring game in her 112th career game with the Bulls.
- Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu’s 22 points and 16 rebounds mark her 56th career double-double and her 31st in a South Florida uniform … It also marks her 24th of the season.
- With her fourth rebound of the game, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu became South Florida’s single season rebounding leader, surpassing former Bull Alisia Jenkins and the 397 rebounds she grabbed during the 2014-15 season … Fankam Mendjiadeu finished the game with 410 rebounds on the year through Marquette, just two from surpassing former UConn Huskie Napheesa Collier (2018-19, 410) for the single-season American Athletic Conference record.
- With her 10th point of the game, Sammie Puisis reached the 1,000-point plateau for her career between Florida State and South Florida. She finished the game with 1,004 career points … Puisis is the second South Florida player this season to score her 1,000th career point, joining Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu who accomplished the feat against Florida A&M on Nov. 11.
Up Next
The Bulls will now face top-seeded, No. 1-ranked and defending national champion, South Carolina on Sunday at a time to be announced.
Catch The Bulls on Bulls Unlimited & ESPN+
All of South Florida’s American Athletic Conference Tournament games will be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform, with the championship game being carried live on ESPNU. The American and ESPN began a new 12-year television rights agreement which started in 2020-21. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $9.99 monthly or $99.99 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.
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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 –
