Bulls continue to jostle for position in the AAC standings as there are just four regular season games left.
TAMPA (Feb. 21, 2020) – USF closes out its short two-game road stretch on Saturday when it travels to the “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll” to face Memphis. Tip-off at Elma Roan Fieldhouse is 5 p.m. (ESPN3). This is the last road tilt before the Bulls end February with two at home. Despite the Bulls’ loss at UCF on Feb. 19 in Orlando, they enter the game with the Tigers having won five of their last eight and eight of their last 13.
GAME 27 | FEB. 22, 2020 | 5 P.M. | MEMPHIS, TENN. | ELMA ROANE FIELDHOUSE
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: ESPN3
Despina McLaughlin (PxP), Kelly Dayo (Analyst)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com)
Josh Appel (PxP)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Series: Memphis leads, 15-11
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
Tickets: (901) 678-2331 or 1-888-867-UofM
USF BULLS | 15-11 (7-5, AAC)
Last Game: Feb. 19 at UCF, L, 56-48
Next Game: Feb. 25 vs. East Carolina, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 369-270 (20th season)
at USF: Same
MEMPHIS TIGERS | 13-13 (4-9, AAC)
Last Game: Feb. 19 at Temple, L, 78-64
Next Game: Feb. 29 vs. UCF, 2 p.m.
Head Coach: Melissa McFerrin
Alma Mater: Missouri, 1983
Career Record: 238-255 (15th season)
at UCF: 188-185 (11th season)
QUICK HITS
– Saturday’s game is the third of three contests that the Bulls will play on the road over a four-game stretch which began at Tulane on Feb. 13 … The lone home game was against No. 5/6 UConn on Feb. 16.
– USF dropped a tough 56-48 decision at UCF on Feb. 19 in the second edition of the War on I-4 … The Bulls got 10 points apiece from Shae Leverett and Elena Tsineke, and seven points and 11 rebounds from Bethy Mununga.
– USF have two players – Elena Tsineke (12.4) and Sydni Harvey (11.3) – averaging double-figure points, and four others netting 7.5 points per game or better on the year.
TICKET & PROMOTION INFORMATION
– For ticket questions or to purchase tickets, please visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-Go-Bulls … Single-game tickets are available; however; courtside seats are sold out for the 2019-20 season.
– USF’s game against East Carolina on Feb. 25 will be the Bulls’ annual Play4Kay game to raise awareness of supporting innovative ways of fighting ALL cancers affecting women and providing support through giving them strength, courage, and hope.
UP NEXT FOR USF
– Following their meeting with Memphis, the Bulls will close out February at home against East Carolina on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. (ADN) and then SMU on Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. (BullsVision).
– USF closes out the regular season on March 2 at 7 p.m., when it faces UConn in Hartford at the XL Center. The game can be seen live on ESPN2 as part of Big Monday.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE BULLS
– In just 21 collegiate games, Elena Tsineke has made her presence felt for the Bulls after being cleared to play by the NCAA … Tsineke missed the first five games of the season after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA … Tsineke leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game … She has scored double figures in 14 of the 21 games she has played in, including career-high 25 points against Temple on Feb. 9, and two 20-point efforts, at Temple on Jan. 16 and against Houston on Jan. 29 … Tsineke was 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) from the field, including 3-for-7 (42.9 percent) from behind the arc, and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line against the Owls … She also netted 19 points, twice, against Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 29 in the Cancun Challenge and against Cincinnati in The American opener on Jan. 5 … She is shooting 38,5 percent (87-for-226) from the field, including 32.7 percent (33-for-101) from behind the arc, and 87.9 percent (51-for-58) from the free-throw line.
– Bethy Mununga comes into Saturday’s game averaging just shy of a double-double in the 23 games she has played this season … She missed three games – Idaho, Mississippi State and UNLV – with a hamstring injury … Her 9.7 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per outing are fourth and first on the team, respectively, and her rebounds per game average is second in The American through Feb. 19… She has scored in double figures in 12 of the 23 games she has played in, including career highs of 16 points at Baylor (Nov. 19), against Brown (Dec. 30) and Cincinnati (Jan. 3) … She’s shooting 50.5 percent (92-for-182) from the field on the year.
– Mununga has recorded a double-double in seven of the 23 games she has played in … She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in 13 games, and in the last three straight, equaling her longest double-figure rebounding stretch of the year.
– Sydni Harvey is back to her old self after missing the first 10 games of the season due to a leg injury … Harvey is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.7 points per game, and has scored double figures in seven of the last 12 games played … She set a career high for three-point shots made in a game with seven against Temple (7-for-8) en route to a career-high tying 25 points on Feb. 9 … Harvey had a near perfect offensive night shooting 7-for-10 (70.0 percent) from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line to go along with her performance from long range.
– Elisa Pinzan posted a career high tying 23-point effort against UCF on Jan. 19 … She shot 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from the field and 58.3 percent (7-for-12) from behind the three-point arc … She set career highs with eight field goals and seven three-point shots made against the Knights … Most recently, Pinzan had back-to-back 18 and 15-point efforts against Tulane on Feb. 13 and No. 5/6 UConn on Feb. 16, respectively … Pinzan also netted 14 points against No. 2/2 Baylor on Nov. 19 … Despite missing five games – Idaho, Mississippi State, UNLV, Brown and Cincinnati – due to an ankle injury, she continues to lead the team in assists per game, and is currently dishing out 4.6 per game, which is tops in The American through Feb. 19 … Pinzan has handed out six or more assists in six of the past 12 games – dating back to Alabama State on Dec. 6 – and in five of 11 since returning from her ankle injury at Tulsa on Jan. 19.
– Tamara Henshaw, second on the team in rebounding, comes into the Memphis game with 862 career rebounds, following her six-rebound effort against UCF on Feb. 19 … She has recorded double-figure rebounds in two of the last six games … She reached the 800-rebound plateau with her seven boards against Cincinnati on Jan. 5 … Against Houston, Henshaw moved past Nalini Miller (2003-07) for seventh all-time at USF … Next up is Jessica Lawson (2007-10), in sixth on the all-time list with 863.
– Kristyna Brabencova is averaging 7.5 points per game on the year and 3.7 rebounds per contest … She missed three games – Cincinnati, Temple and Tulane – due to a sprained ankle suffered against Houston (Jan. 29) … She has scored double figures in eight games this season, in five of her last 10 played, and seven of her last 14 … Her double-figure outing at Tulsa on Jan. 12 was a career-high 17 points performance on 6-for-9 shooting (66.7 percent), including 2-for-3 (66.7 percent) from long range, and a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
SCOUTING MEMPHIS
– Memphis comes into its game with USF with a 13-13 record and a 4-9 mark in The American … The Tigers have lost two straight and three of their last four, following a 78-64 loss at Temple on Feb. 19.
– Jamirah Shutes leads three players in double figures in the scoring column, netting 15.2 points per game … Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu and Madison Griggs round out the top three scorers, averaging 11.9 and 10.1 points per outing, respectively … Fankam Mendjiadeu also leads the team on the glass, grabbing 8.4 rebounds per contest.
THE SERIES AGAINST THE TIGERS
– Saturday marks the 27th meeting between USF and Memphis, with the Tigers holding a 15-11 series lead, dating back to the inaugural meeting in January of 1996 … The Tigers holds a 9-3 advantage over the Bulls in games played in Memphis.
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 eighth consecutive 19-win season and eighth straight postseason appearance in 2018-19. The Bulls celebrated two all-conference honorees in Enna Pehadzic and Sydni Harvey.
USF has made 15 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 19 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 –
