Shae Leverett and Elena Tsineke score 10 points apiece in the loss to the Knights; Bethy Mununga 11 rebounds.
Game Details
UCF 56, USF 48
USF (15-11, 7-5 in AAC), UCF (16-8, 8-4 in AAC)
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020 | 6 p.m. | ESPN3
Orlando, Fla. | Addition Financial Arena
ORLANDO (Feb. 19, 2020) – At a time of the season when every game is crucial, Wednesday night’s game at UCF had extra meaning. Not only was it the second edition of the War on I-4, but both teams came into the week in a tie for second in the American Athletic Conference standings. Unfortunately for the Bulls, it was the Knights that came out on top as UCF handed USF a 56-48 loss at Addition Financial Arena. The setback drops the Bulls to 15-11 on the year and 7-5 in The American, while the Knights improve to 16-8 overall and 8-4 in the AAC.
Shae Leverett (Rincon, Ga.) and Elena Tsineke (Thessaloniki, Greece) each scored a team-high 10 points for USF, while Bethy Mununga (Zellik, Belgium) finished with seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Despite shooting just 32.7 percent (17-of-52) from the field on the night, and holding UCF to a season low 26.8 percent (15-for-56) from the floor, the Bulls trailed by as many as nine points, 48-39, with just under four minutes left in the contest. USF then scored nine of the next 13 points to get the Knights’ lead down to 52-48 with just over one-minute left, however could not get any closer despite several good opportunities.
In addition to Mununga’s 11 rebounds, Tamara Henshaw (Palm Coast, Fla.) grabbed six rebounds as the Bulls held a 43-40 advantage on the glass, and outrebounded their 25th opponent in 26 games this season.
Score By Quarters
1 2 3 4 F
USF 7 11 14 16 48
UCF 13 10 15 18 56
Notable
- Tonight’s starters for the Bulls were: G Elisa Pinzan (Murano, Italy), G Elena Tsineke (Thessaloniki, Greece), F Shae Leverett (Rincon, Ga.), W Sydni Harvey (Nashville, Tenn.) and F Bethy Mununga (Zellik, Belgium) … The Bulls are 2-2 with this lineup.
- USF outrebounded UCF, 43-40, which marks the 25th time in 26 games that the Bulls have outrebounded their opponent.
- Tamara Henshaw grabbed six rebounds against UCF and now has 862 for her career … She is currently seventh all-time in school history, and one shy of joining Jessica Lawson (2007-10) in sixth on the school’s career rebounding list.
- Henshaw played in her 127th career game on Wednesday against UCF, and is in sole possession of seventh after surpassing Tiffany Conner (2009-13) and Jessica Dickson (2003-07) against UConn on Feb. 16 … She is currently three games shy of equaling Akila McDonald (2010-14) for sixth.
- Bethy Mununga’s 11 rebounds marked her 13th career double-figure rebounding performance and her third straight.
- Shae Leverett’s 10 points marked the fourth double-figure scoring performance of the season.
- Elena Tsineke’s 10 points was her 15th double-figure scoring game in 21 career games
Up Next
The Bulls travels to Memphis to face the Tigers on Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. (ESPN3). USF closes out the month of 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).
About USF Women’s Basketball
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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 –
