Sydni Harvey pours in 23 points and Bethy Mununga nets 19 points and grabs 14 boards as the Bulls win their 11th-straight.
Game Details
No. 12/15 USF 69, Cincinnati 65 (ot)
USF (12-1, *10-0 AAC), Cincinnati (4-14, 3-11 AAC)
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021 | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
* The American has declared a forfeit win for USF against Memphis for conference-standings purposes only as a result of the scheduled game from Jan. 17 that was not played. The teams’ overall records are not affected.
TAMPA (AP) (Feb. 17, 2021) — Sydni Harvey scored eight of her 23 points in overtime, Bethy Mununga had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 12/15 South Florida beat Cincinnati 69-65 on Wednesday night in the Yuengling Center.
Elisa Pinzan added 11 points and nine assists for USF (12-1, 10-0 AAC). The Bulls have won 11 in a row overall and 10 straight conference games, both program records.
Jada Scott made a layup to give Cincinnati (4-14, 3-11 AAC) a 65-64 lead with 1:26 left in overtime but Mununga hit two free throws 21 seconds later and the Bearcats didn’t score again.
IImar’I Thomas had 23 points, six rebounds and seven points for Cincinnati. Caitlyn Wilson added 18 points and Jillian Hayes scored 11 before fouling out with 7:30 to play.
The Bulls made 9 of 12 free throws in overtime after going 11 of 17 in regulation. They outrebounded Cincinnati 43-32, including 18-6 on the offensive glass, and outscored the Bearcats 15-5 in second-chance points.
USF athletics communications contributed to this story.
Key Stats
31.3% – Cincinnati had a stellar night from behind the three-point arc in its loss to USF … The Bearcats hit 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from long range on the night, the highest three-point shooting percentage by an opponent against the Bulls this season … USF came into the game against Cincinnati first in the nation in three-point field goal shooting percentage defense, allowing just 19.0 percent shooting by their opponents.
Notable
- The win over Cincinnati improves USF’s record in the all-time series against the Bearcats to 21-17, and 12-8 all-time in games played in Tampa.
- USF’s win over the Bearcats marked its 11th-straight victory extending its program record for consecutive wins … In their last game against Tulsa on Feb. 13, the Bulls surpassed their previous best of nine straight wins set during the 2008-09 and 1972-73 campaigns.
- USF’s win over Cincinnati also marks its 10th straight conference victory, also a new program record for consecutive conference wins.
- The Bulls’ 12-1 start marks just the third time during the Jose Fernandez coaching era (since the 2000-01 season) that the Bulls have won at least 12 games through their first 13 outings … They also accomplished the feat during the 2016-17 (13-1) and 2008-09 (13-1) campaigns, under Fernandez.
- USF’s overtime win improves its record in extra session games to 28-13 and 22-8 under Jose Fernandez … The Bulls have won their last four overtime games, four of their last five, and 11 of their last 15.
- With her first rebound of the night against Cincinnati, Shae Leverett reached the 600-rebound plateau for her career … Leverett finished the night with eight rebounds against the Bearcats, and has 607 for her career … She sits in 17th on the school’s career rebounds list.
- Bethy Mununga’s game-highs of 19 points and 14 rebounds against Cincinnati marked her 16th career double-double and the seventh of the season.
- Mununga’s 14 boards against the Bearcats is also the 27th double-figure rebounding performance in the Green and Gold.
- Shae Leverett continues to move up the school’s career blocked shot and rebounding charts this season … With her two rejections against Cincinnati, Leverett currently has 95 for her career, which surpasses Courtney Williams (2012-16) into sole possession of seventh place on the school’s career list … She is now just five blocks shy of becoming the seventh player in program history to reject at least 100 shots.
- Sydni Harvey’s 23 points are her second 20-point outing of the season and the eighth of her career.
- Elisa Pinzan netted 11 points and handed out nine assists, falling one assist shy of her third career double-double.
Up Next
USF closes out its three-game homestand when it returns to the Yuengling Center on Feb. 20, to butt heads with Tulane. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. with the game being streamed live on ESPN+.
Following the Tulane game, the Bulls will close out their regular season with three of the final four games on the road, starting at Temple on Feb. 24 (3:30 p.m., ESPN+) and Houston on Feb. 27 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
About USF Women’s Basketball
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USF notched its ninth consecutive 19-win season and was poised for its ninth straight postseason appearance in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the end of the college basketball season. The Bulls celebrated two all-conference honorees in Elena Tsineke and Elisa Pinzan. Tsineke was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, in addition to The American All-Freshman Team and Third Team All-Conference; while Pinzan was named a Third Team All-Conference selection.
USF has made 15 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 20 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.
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