Game Details
(8) No. 19/18 South Florida 57, (9) Washington State 53
South Florida (19-3), Washington State (12-12)
Sunday, March 21, 2021 | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
NCAA Tournament First Round, Mercado Region
Austin, Texas | Frank Erwin Center
Special by
Joey Johnston
AUSTIN, Texas (March 21, 2021) — It was a game of runs and USF’s women’s basketball season teetered in the balance during a heart-stopping final few minutes. Ultimately, though, only one factor really mattered.
Survive and advance.
The No. 8-seeded Bulls accomplished both goals Sunday night during a 57-53 victory against the No. 9 Washington State Cougars in an NCAA Tournament first-round game at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
The Bulls (19-3), champions of the American Athletic Conference, will face No. 1 N.C. State (21-2) on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET as USF shoots for the program’s first trip to the Sweet 16. The second-round game, set for San Antonio’s Alamodome, will be shown on ESPN2.
“We’ve never been to the second weekend (of the NCAA Tournament),’’ USF coach Jose Fernandez said. “We’ve been close. It’s great to get a win. We’re one of the final 32 teams in the country and now we have a one-day turnaround to get ready for N.C. State.’’
The Bulls managed to get there by surviving a physical, let-them-play type of game. They were sparked by sophomore guard Elena Tsineke, who had 12 of her team-high 18 points in the second quarter, when the Bulls built a 12-point lead.
After the Cougars (12-12) roared back to take a 53-52 lead with 1:47 to play — getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Johanna Teder and sensational freshman Charlisse Leger-Walker (18 points, four 3-pointers, five rebounds, four assists, 8-for-8 from the free-throw line) — Fernandez called a time out.
And he drew up the perfect play.
The inbounds pass went inside the key and Tsineke took the handoff, driving in for the go-ahead layup with 1:32 remaining. When the Cougars misfired on the other end, USF point guard Elisa Pinzan was fouled and hit both free throws for a three-point advantage with 25.9 seconds remaining. After another Washington State miss, Sydni Harvey made the second of two free-throw attempts and it was over.
“I believe we played really hard,’’ Tsineke said. “We’ve got to keep on going and going and going. We really deserve stuff like this. This is our moment to show what we’ve been doing the whole year.’’
Tsineke was responsible for many highlight moments in the second quarter, when the Bulls outscored the Cougars 25-14 and went 11-for-16 from the field. Tsineke alone was 5-for-6 during the quarter.
But Tsineke wasn’t alone.
Senior forward Bethy Mununga had a game-high 11 rebounds and six points, but two of the game’s biggest buckets, back-to-back dribble drives that erased Washington State’s short-lived 41-39 third-quarter lead. Pinzan had 12 points and Harvey added 10. Meanwhile, senior center Shae Leverett was a model of consistency with eight points (on 4-for-4 shooting) and six rebounds.
The Bulls limited Washington State to 30.9-percent shooting from the field, but Fernandez was disturbed by the Cougars’ eight made 3-pointers, which kept them in the game.
“We knew they weren’t going to go away,’’ Fernandez said. “That team had really good wins in Pac-12 play. They beat Oregon State, Arizona and UCLA. Their three perimeter kids can really create off the bounce.
“They challenged us. We found a way to win the game. I’m proud of this group.’’
And now the Bulls really have an opportunity to inspire some pride. The No. 1-seeded Wolfpack, winners against Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament final, are looming.
Fernandez was diplomatic after the NCAA selections were made, but he acknowledged that the Bulls, in his mind, were better than a No. 8 seed. He said while teams from other leagues lost games down the stretch, the Bulls were “penalized for winning.’’
But as most coaches would agree, once the NCAA Tournament begins, seedings are a moot point. It’s about matchups, preparation, surviving and advancing. After what Fernandez described as a late-night “two-hour’’ trip back to the team’s San Antonio hotel, it was all about finding a way to defeat N.C. State.
For inspiration, Fernandez hinted at an earlier result from Sunday in the men’s tournament, No. 8 Loyola Chicago’s upset of No. 1 Illinois.
“Eight is enough,’’ Fernandez said.
Notable
- USF’s win over Washington State marks its first NCAA Tournament victory since March 19, 2016, when the Bulls defeated the 11-seed, Colorado State, 48-45, at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion … USF was a six-seed that year, and fell in the second round to third-seeded, and host, UCLA, 72-67, on March 21.
- South Florida’s win improves the Bulls’ record in the NCAA Tournament to 4-6 all-time.
- The Bulls advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in their seven appearances in the NCAAs, and the first time since the 2016 Tournament.
- The win also improves USF’s record against Washington State to 2-0 all-time.
- Bethy Mununga’s 11 rebounds marked her 18th double-figure rebounding game of the season and the 35th of her career.
- Mununga’s 11 rebounds are also tied for the third most in a Bulls’ NCAA Tournament game, joining Ezria Parson (March 19, 2006) and Maria Jespersen (March 17, 2018)
Up Next
USF now faces the No. 1-seed in the Mercado Region, North Carolina State, on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT, at the Alamodome (Court 2).
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.
– #GoBulls –
