Pinzan records her first 20-point performance since November while Elena Tsineke adds 10 points.
Game Details
-/RV South Florida 61, Wichita State 57
USF (19-7, 9-3 AAC), Wichita State (13-13, 4-9 AAC)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022 | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
TAMPA (Feb. 22, 2022) — Elisa Pinzan scored 22 points, including 18 in the second half, and Elena Tsineke added 10 points as the University of South Florida women’s basketball team closed out its three-game homestand with a 61-57 win over Wichita State on Tuesday night in the Yuengling Center. The Bulls improve to 19-7 overall and 9-3 in the American Athletic Conference while the Shockers fall to 13-13 overall and 4-9 in league play.
Tuesday was the first of two games in three days that South Florida will play against Wichita State. The two programs will meet up again in Wichita on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+).
On a day that was known as “Twosday” – 02-22-2022 – it was fitting that Pinzan dropped 22 points, with her final field goal being the most memorable of all. With the Bulls leading by two, 56-54, Pinzan drained a 35-foot step-back three-point shot as the shot clock expired, and with 11.7 seconds left in the contest, to secure the win for South Florida. It was her first 20-point performance since pouring in a career-high 26 points in the Bulls’ 71-62 win over No. 9 Oregon on Nov. 22.
After leading at the break, 30-22, and then by as many as 11 points at the beginning of the third quarter, the Bulls gave the Shockers life as Wichita State outscored the Green and Gold 18-12 in the third quarter to enter the final stanza, trailing by just two points, 42-40. South Florida, however, continued to warm up offensively as it shot 50 percent (6-for-12) from the field in the fourth quarter, which included 3-for-5 (60 percent) from beyond the three-point arc.
The Bulls trailed by two, 54-52, with just over three minutes left in the contest before Pinzan put South Florida back on top for good with a trey with 1:43 left to make the score, 55-54, and then hit one of two from the free-throw line with under a minute left before her final three gave South Florida control.
Sydni Harvey scored nine points and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu chipped in with eight points. Bethy Mununga grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds on the night.
Notable
- Tuesday’s starters for the Bulls were: G Elisa Pinzan, G Sydni Harvey, W Elena Tsineke, F Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, and F Bethy Mununga … The Bulls are 10-3 with this lineup.
- South Florida’s win over Wichita State improves its record in the all-time series to 5-2.
- The Bulls are now just one win shy of recording 20 wins in a season for the 10th time in program history, all coming during the Jose Fernandez coaching era … South Florida last posted a 20-win season during the 2017-18 campaign (26-8).
- Elena Tsineke’s 10 points against Wichita State marks her 54th career double-figure scoring game in her 73rd career game with the Bulls.
- Tsineke now has 978 career points, just 22 points shy of becoming the 26th player in school history – and the second this season – to reach the 1,000-point milestone … Sydni Harvey accomplished the feat on Nov. 26 against Stanford.
- Bethy Mununga recorded her 52nd career double-figure rebounding game with her 12 rebounds against the Shockers.
- With her 12 boards on Tuesday, Mununga is now just 10 rebounds shy of 900 for her career … In addition, Mununga grabbed her 300th career offensive rebound on Tuesday against the Shockers.
Up Next
Following its meeting with Wichita State, South Florida will head to America’s Heartland to face the Shockers for the second time in three days on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). After the game in Wichita, the Bulls will head directly to Greenville, N.C. to take on East Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ESPN+) in their final regular-season road tilt of the season.
South Florida will close out its regular season campaign on March 2 at 7 p.m. (ESPN+) against Houston on Senior Night.
For tickets call (800) Go-Bulls or head to USFBullsTix.com.
About USF Women’s Basketball
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USF recorded its best season in program history during the 2020-21 campaign, all while navigating the unpredictable COVID-19 landscape. In doing so, the Bulls won their first-ever American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and posted their highest ranking in the Associated Press Top25 poll – reaching as high as No. 12 – and made their ninth straight postseason appearance, and sixth NCAA appearance in the last 10 years.
USF has made 16 postseason tournament appearances and had seven NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 21 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 nearly 400 career games. For his efforts on the sideline during the 2020-21 season, 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.
The Bulls posted a 19-4 record and had five players, during the 2020-21 campaign, the Bulls had five players recognized by The American for impressive seasons, including Elisa Pinzan (Most Improved Player, All-Conference Second Team), Maria Alvarez (Co-Sixth Player of the Year), Bethy Mununga (All-Conference First Team), Elena Tsineke (All-Conference First Team), and Sydni Harvey (All-Conference Third Team).
In addition, Harvey was named the American Athletic Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player and to the All-Tournament Team, while Mununga and Tsineke were also All-Tournament selections.
– #GoBulls –
