Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu breaks the GCS tournament record for rebounds with 49 boards in the three-day event.
Game Details
No. 23/RV Villanova 72, RV/RV USF 50
USF (7-2), Villanova (6-1)
Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022 | 5 p.m. | FloHoops
Estero, Fla. | Hertz Arena
ESTERO, Fla. (Nov. 27, 2022) — The University of South Florida women’s basketball team got 17 points from Sammie Puisis, 14 points and 17 rebounds from Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu and 11 points from Elena Tsineke but that wasn’t enough as the Bulls fell to No. 23/RV Villanova, 72-50, in the third-place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena in Estero on Sunday night.
South Florida drops to 7-2 on the year while the Wildcats improve to 6-1.
During the first quarter, Fankam Mendjiadeu set the tournament rebounding record with her fifth board of the game, surpassing the previous mark of 36 set by Ebony Rowe of Middle Tennessee in 2013. Fankam Mendjiadeu finished the game with 49 rebounds for the three-game tournament. In addition, the senior from Cameroon grabbed her 800th career rebound during the game between Memphis and South Florida.
Villanova jumped out and took control early in the game leading by as many as 21 in the second quarter, 39-21, with just over two minutes left in the half.
After leading at the break, 39-23, the Wildcats came out and scored the first basket of the second half, but the Bulls scored the next five points to cut the Villanova lead to 12, 41-29, on baskets by Tsineke and Carla Brito, but that was as close as South Florida got the rest of the night.
The Bulls finished the game shooting just 33.9 percent (19-for-56) from the field against the Wildcats and 55.0 percent (11-for-20) from the free-throw line, while Villanova hit 48.3 percent 28-for-58 from the floor.
Notable
- Sunday’s starters for the Bulls were: G Elena Tsineke, G Aerial Wilson, G Sammie Puisis, F Carla Brito and F Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu … The Bulls are 6-2 with this lineup.
- South Florida’s loss to Villanova drops its record in the all-time series to 8-2.
- Elena Tsineke’s 11 points against Villanova mark her 65th career double-figure scoring game in her 88th career game with the Bulls.
- Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu’s 14 points and 17 rebounds mark her 37th career double-double and her 12th in a South Florida uniform.
Up Next
South Florida will continue its five-game road stretch when it travels back to the Lone Star State to face Texas on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. The game can be seen live on ESPN+/Longhorn Network
Catch The Bulls on Bulls Unlimited & ESPN+
The majority of USF’s regular-season games will be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform. The American Athletic Conference and ESPN began a new 12-year television rights agreement which started in 2020-21. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $6.99 monthly or $69.99 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.
About USF Women’s Basketball
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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 –
