Elena Tsineke had a game-high 23 points while Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu records 17 points and 13 rebounds, including her 1,000th career board.
Game Details
RV/25 USF 67, Memphis 62
USF (20-4, 9-0 AAC), Memphis (12-9, 4-4 AAC)
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Memphis, Tenn. | Elma Roane Fieldhouse
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Jan. 28, 2023) — The University of South Florida women’s basketball team won its 20th game in a season for the 11th time in program history with a 67-62 victory at Memphis in Elma Roane Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. The win improves the Bulls to 20-4 on the year and 9-0 in the American Athletic Conference. The Tigers fall to 12-9 overall and 4-4 in league play.
The win is also the 10th straight for South Florida and its 13th win in the last 15 games.
Elena Tsineke poured in a game-high 23 points and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu had 17 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Fankam Mendjiadeu hit another impressive milestone, grabbing her 1,000th career rebound with her ninth of the game.
Sammie Puisis also made her way into double figures in the scoring column with 14 points.
The Bulls led 34-24 at the half and by 11 points, 52-42, at the end of the third quarter.
South Florida extended its lead to a game-high 14 points, 57-43, with 8:23 left in the game on a three-point shot by Sammie Puisis. Despite holding that same margin twice over the next two minutes, Memphis battled back to cut the Bulls’ lead to five points in the final two minutes but couldn’t get any closer.
Fankam Mendjiadeu hit a layup with just over a minute left and Tsineke hit two free throws with under 30 seconds left to secure the win.
Notable
- Saturday’s starters for the Bulls were: G Elena Tsineke, G Aerial Wilson, F Sammie Puisis, F Carla Brito and F Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu … South Florida is 17-4 with this lineup.
- The win over Memphis improves the Bulls’ record against the Tigers to 16-15 in the all-time series … The win for South Florida is the fifth straight over Memphis and the 14th in the last 17 games.
- Elena Tsineke’s 23 points against Memphis mark her 80th career double-figure scoring game in her 103rd career game with the Bulls … It is also her third-straight 20-point game.
- Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu’s 17 points and 13 rebounds mark her 50th career double-double and her 25th in a South Florida uniform.
- With her ninth rebound of the afternoon, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu reached the 1,000-rebound plateau between her time with Memphis and South Florida.
Up Next
The Bulls will return to the Yuengling Center for two out of their next three games, beginning on Jan. 31 when they take on East Carolina at 7 p.m. (ESPN+) for Team Tykes Night. South Florida will also face Houston at home, on Feb. 12 (2 p.m. ESPN2) during the three-game stretch. The Bulls’ lone road game during that time will be at SMU on Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+).
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 $9.99 monthly or $99.99 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 –
