The Bulls and Knights will meet twice in the next three days to determine the AAC regular-season champ.
TAMPA (March 1, 2021) – The No. 15-ranked University of South Florida women’s basketball team returns to the Yuengling Center on Tuesday night for the first of back-to-back games to close out the regular season against UCF in the War on I-4 series. Tip-off in the Yuengling Center is slated for 5:30 p.m. (ESPN+). The two teams will also meet on Thursday at 5 p.m., in Orlando, at Addition Financial Arena in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPNU.
The Bulls (14-2, 12-1* American Athletic Conference) look to recover from their first conference loss of the season on Feb. 27 at Houston. The setback also ended their program-record 13-game winning streak.
That can all be a distant memory as USF can win the American Athletic Conference regular-season title, and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament, with at least a split of the final two games. UCF must win both games to get the top seed and the regular-season crown.
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GAME 17 | TUE., MARCH 2 | 5:30 P.M. | TAMPA, FLA. | YUENGLING CENTER
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Stream: ESPN+ ($)
Jim Louk (PxP), Leah Secondo (Analyst)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com)
Darek Sharp (PxP), Brigid Merenda (Analyst)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com/StatBroadcast
Series: USF leads series, 28-13
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
Tickets: (800) Go-Bulls; USFBullsTix.com
No. 15 USF BULLS | 14-2, 12-1* AAC
Last Game: Feb. 27 at Houston (L, 67-49)
Next Game: March 4 at UCF, 5 p.m.
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 387-274 (21st season)
at USF: Same
UCF KNIGHTS | 13-2, 11-1 AAC
Last Game: Feb. 27 vs. Temple (W, 61-37)
Next Game: March 4 vs. USF, 5 p.m.
Head Coach: Katie Abrahamson-Henderson
Alma Mater: Iowa, 1990
Career Record: 344-150 (15th season)
at UCF: 103-42 (Fifth season)
* The American Athletic Conference declared a forfeit win for USF against Memphis for conference-standings purposes only as a result of the scheduled game from Jan. 17. See page 8 for more details.
QUICK HITS
– No. 15 USF returns to the Yuengling Center for the final time during the 2020-21 season as the Bulls host American Athletic Conference rival UCF on Tuesday in the first of back-to-back War on I-4 contests … Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. (ESPN+).
– The Bulls need just a split of the final two games to win its first regular-season title and get the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament (March 8-11) … If UCF wins both, the Knights will earn the No. 1 seed.
– USF is coming off its first conference loss of the season, a 67-49 setback at Houston on Saturday … The loss snapped the Bulls’ program-record 13-game winning streak … Elena Tsineke poured in a game-high 24 points in the defeat.
– Elena Tsineke leads the Bulls in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game … She is joined in double figures by Sydni Harvey (11.6) and Bethy Mununga (11.2) … Mununga leads in rebounding (12.6).
THE SERIES AGAINST THE KNIGHTS
– Tuesday’s game marks the 42nd meeting between USF and UCF in the War on I-4, with the Bulls holding a 28-13 series lead, dating back to the inaugural meeting in January of 1973 … USF holds a 17-3 advantage over the Knights in games played in Tampa.
UP NEXT FOR USF
– Following its game on Tuesday, the Bulls will head to Orlando to face UCF in the regular-season finale for both teams … Tip-off at Addition Financial Arena is slated for 5 p.m. with the game being broadcast live on ESPNU.
– Following the regular-season, the Bulls will head back to the Lone Star State for the 2021 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, March 8-11.
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 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.
– #GoBulls –
