Elisa Pinzan hit one of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left to secure the victory.
Game Details
-/RV South Florida 47, Wichita State 46
USF (20-7, 10-3 AAC), Wichita State (13-14, 4-10 AAC)
Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 | 7 p.m. ET| ESPN+
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
WICHITA, Kan. (Feb. 24, 2022) — Elisa Pinzan hit one of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left in the game and South Florida overcame a 13-point second-quarter deficit as the Bulls pulled out a hard-fought 47-46 win at Wichita State on Thursday night.
The win improves South Florida to 20-7 overall and 10-3 in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls’ 20th win marks 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). The Shockers drop to 13-14 on the year and 4-10 in The American.
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds for the Bulls. Bethy Mununga scored nine points along with eight rebounds and Pinzan and Maria Alvarez had eight points apiece.
The Bulls trailed by as many as 13 points, 30-17, with 44 seconds left in the first half. South Florida, however, came out of the locker room for the third quarter swinging, outscoring Wichita State 9-2 to cut the Shockers’ lead to just four, 32-28, entering the fourth quarter. During that third-quarter run Pinzan and Mununga each scored four points, including Pinzan’s three-pointer with just over six minutes left that snapped a 0-for-13 stretch from behind the three-point arc.
South Florida regained the lead, 34-33, for the first time since the first quarter on a three-pointer by Alvarez just over one minute into the final stanza.
The Bulls took their largest lead of the night, 42-36, with 6:20 remaining on another Alvarez trey. Wichita State, however, put together its own 8-0 run over a three-plus minute stretch to find itself back on top, 44-42, with just under three minutes remaining. That was the last time the Shockers led the rest of the night. Fankam Mendjiadeu leveled the game at 44-all with a rebound putback and then put the Green and Gold up with a driving layup in the paint.
Trajata Colbert hit two free throws for the Shockers with 10 seconds left to tie the game at 46 before Pinzan sealed the game.
Thursday’s game was the second meeting between the two teams in three days. South Florida defeated Wichita State, 61-57, on Tuesday night in Tampa, a contest that was rescheduled from Jan. 9 when the Shockers had to postpone due to health and safety protocols within the program.
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 11-3 with this lineup.
- South Florida’s win over Wichita State improves its record in the all-time series to 6-2.
- Elena Tsineke is now just 19 points shy (981) of becoming the 26th player in program history – and the second this season – to score 1,000-career points … Sydni Harvey became the 25th women’s basketball player at South Florida to accomplish the feat earlier this season against Stanford.
- With her eight rebounds on Thursday against Wichita State, Mununga is now just two rebounds shy of becoming the fifth player in program history to haul down 900 rebounds or more.
- Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu’s 14 points and 10 rebounds mark her 31st career double-double and her sixth of the season.
Up Next
Following its meeting with Wichita State, South Florida 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.
The Bulls close out their 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 –
