Senior Tamara Henshaw will be honored before the Bulls’ regular season home finale Saturday night.
Game 29 | Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 | 7 p.m. | Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
GAME DAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: BullsVison, Jim Louk (PxP)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com), Darek Sharp (PxP), Brigid Merenda (Analyst)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Series: USF leads, 12-1
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
Tickets: (800) Go-Bulls; USFBullsTix.com
USF BULLS | 17-11 (9-5, AAC)
Last Game: Feb. 25 vs. East Carolina, W, 81-52
Next Game: March 2 at UConn, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 371-270 (20th season)
at USF: Same
SMU MUSTANGS | 12-14 (6-8, AAC)
Last Game: Feb. 22 at Houston, W, 60-47
Next Game: March 2 vs. Memphis, 8 p.m.
Head Coach: Travis Mays
Alma Mater: Texas, 1990
Career Record: 52-68 (Fourth season)
at SMU: Same
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, FEB. 28, 2020 – Just for a moment, Tamara Henshaw might stop to smell a beautiful bouquet of roses before the businesslike Bull brings her usual all-out brand to the court on Saturday.
For her many contributions the past four seasons, Henshaw is certainly worthy of a standing ovation inside the Yuengling Center when the productive post player is honored prior to USF’s Senior Night game against SMU.
”It is an emotional night for me, but I try to look at it as a game,” she said. “I have to go out there and play as hard as I can, as I always do.”
Home fans have grown accustomed to seeing Henshaw leave it all on the floor during her busy collegiate career that’s included 129 games of service, seventh-most in program history. Playing multiple positions and battling through numerous injuries as a Bull, the former AAC Freshman of the Year has made 77 starts since she happily committed to USF at a summer camp on campus.
“It was kind of like one of those great experiences,” she said.
The same can be said for Henshaw’s unforgettable time with a program that plays big-time basketball at a university that’s opened her eyes to the world.
Hailing from Palm Coast, Fla., Henshaw had visited “maybe two states” before getting to see tons of locations around the country and beyond on road trips with the Bulls. Henshaw also has gotten a global perspective of food and culture from friendly teammates representing 12 different foreign countries since she arrived at USF.
“You come in and everyone’s welcoming,” she said. “… That’s what being a Bull is – it’s family.”
Aside from all of her USF sisters, no matter where they’re from, Henshaw has built unbreakable bonds with head coach Jose Fernandez and his staff.
“They’re like my parents,” said Henshaw, who actually wants to become a coach after she graduates with a degree in health sciences this May.
Father and mother figures entrusted by real mom and dad, Verneal and Shawnett, have helped Henshaw reach historical heights as a student-athlete. Heading into Saturday, Henshaw ranks sixth all-time at USF with 872 career rebounds and needs 19 more to jump into the top five.
“I’m thankful for having the coaching staff that makes me work all the time to get on the glass,” Henshaw said. “I definitely pride myself a lot on rebounds. It’s a great experience because there’s a lot of great players that have those big numbers for this school. Being up there with them is really cool.”
Together, Henshaw and her USF women’s hoops family have accomplished quite a bit as a collective unit.
Since her breakout freshman season (2016-17), the Bulls have registered 86 combined wins and made three straight postseason appearances, including two trips to the NCAA tournament (2017-18).
“We should be grateful for it because not a lot of teams do it,” Henshaw said. “Whether it’s the WNIT or the NCAA tournament, we have that chance to keep playing while other teams have to stop.”
Much like Henshaw’s rebounding skills, the Bulls’ chances of making the program’s ninth straight postseason appearance are very solid. USF is three wins away from No. 20 this season and enters the weekend in a three-way tie for second in the conference standings at 9-5.
“We’re gonna play in one tournament,” Fernandez said. “Our play in the conference tournament will determine which tournament we play in.”
Henshaw plans to keep doing her part by giving maximum effort and providing senior leadership to a young roster that wants to keep rolling beyond a deep run in AAC Championship (March 6-9 in Uncasville, Conn.).
“This is my favorite time of the season,” Henshaw said. “I’ve always tried to play as hard as I can to give (seniors) the best ending that I can, but now it’s my turn. I’m still gonna keep that fight in me and keep pushing.”
QUICK HITS
– USF looks to close out its regular season home schedule with two or fewer losses for the second time in the past three years, and the third time in the last five seasons.
– USF is coming off an impressive 81-52 win over East Carolina at home on Tuesday. The Bulls placed five players in double figures in the scoring column, led by Elena Tsineke’s 19 points. Sydni Harvey had 14 points and Shae Leverett added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
– Elena Tsineke (12.3) and Sydni Harvey (10.9) are averaging double-figure points and four others netting 7.5 points per game or more … Shae Leverett is two rebounds shy of 500 for her career.
– The Bulls are shooting for their third straight victory Saturday night.
UP NEXT FOR USF
USF closes out the regular season on Monday at 7 p.m., when it travels to Hartford to face UConn at the XL Center as part of Big Monday on ESPN2.
Following its regular season finale, the Bulls will head to Uncasville, Conn. for the 2020 AAC Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena, March 6-9. Tournament pairings and the tournament bracket will be released Monday night.
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 –
