Bulls hit the Yuengling Center hardwood for the first of their four nonconference games.
TAMPA (Nov. 27, 2020) – The University of South Florida women’s basketball team returns to the Yuengling Center hardwood on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 28, for its 49th season when Jacksonville comes to Tampa. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN+.
For the Bulls, who are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Top 25 polls, the meeting with the Dolphins marks the first of four straight nonconference games on their home floor, their only nonconference games of the season. It is also the second consecutive season that USF has opened against Jacksonville.
GAME ONE | SAT., NOV. 28 | 4 P.M. | YUENGLING CENTER, TAMPA, FLA.
Live Stats | Watch Live | Listen Live
TV/Video: ESPN+
Jim Louk (PxP), Brigid Merenda (Analyst)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited 2 (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com)
Darek Sharp (PxP)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Series: USF leads series, 13-0
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
Tickets: No fans during nonconference schedule
RV/RV USF BULLS | 0-0
Last Game: First game of the season
Next Game: Dec. 1 vs. No. 4/4 Baylor, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 373-272 (21st season)
at USF: Same
JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS | 0-1
Last Game: Nov. 25 at Miami, L, 74-58
Next Game: Dec. 5 vs. FIU, 2 p.m.
Head Coach: Darnell Haney
Alma Mater: Florida A&M, 2004
Career Record: 32-29 (Third season)
at Jacksonville: Same
QUICK HITS
– Saturday marks the beginning of USFs 49th season of competition – and the eighth season in the American Athletic Conference – as the Bulls tip off the 2020-21 campaign against Jacksonville.
– Saturday’s meeting with the Dolphins is the first of its four straight nonconference games that USF will play … Following the game against Jacksonville, the Bulls will take on No. 4/4 Baylor on Tuesday, followed by No. 6/7 Mississippi State.
– The Bulls come into the contest against the Dolphins with a 31-17 record in season openers … USF looks for its seventh straight season-opening win and its ninth victory in the past 11 lid lifters.
– USF opens the 2020-21 campaign receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Top 25 polls … The Bulls earned one point in the Preseason AP and nine points in the Coaches Polls.
TICKET INFORMATION
– USF Athletics announced for the 2020-21 men’s and women’s basketball seasons presented by Tampa General Hospital to begin without fans in attendance in the Yuengling Center … USF will not have fan attendance in the Yuengling Center when the Bulls open play and will continue that policy through the nonconference season slated to run through at least Dec. 15.
– Athletics and the university will continue to review fan attendance policies for the remainder of the 2020-21 basketball season to evaluate the possibility of limited fan attendance of future home dates if deemed appropriate by state, local and university officials … A limited number of players’ and coaches’ family members will be admitted via pass list to attend home games in person.
UP NEXT FOR USF
– USF will get back to work on Tuesday, Dec. 1 when 2019 defending National Champion, and No. 4/4 ranked, Baylor visits the Yuengling Center for the second of the Bulls four nonconference games, all at home.
– The match up with the Lady Bears will also be the first of back-to-back games against teams ranked in the Top 10 of both the Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls … No. 6/7 Mississippi State will also make the trek to Tampa to take on USF on Saturday, Dec. 5.
A LOOK AT JACKSONVILLE
– Jacksonville opened its 2020-21 campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 26, to face Miami, with the Hurricanes handing the Dolphins a 74-58 loss.
– Ashley Malone led three players in double figures, in the scoring column, with 17 points in just over 19 minutes … DeShari Graham and Alexis Pierce each added 14 points … Jada Perry grabbed a game high 10 rebounds in the loss.
THE SERIES AGAINST THE DOLPHINS
– USF has dominated the all-time series with Jacksonville, holding a 13-0 series lead dating back to the 1999-00 season.
– The Bulls boast a 10-0 record all-time against the Dolphins at home … Including Saturday’s meeting between the two schools, USF has played five straight games against Jacksonville at home.
USF TABBED FIRST IN PRESEASON AAC POLL
– USF has been picked to finish atop the American Athletic Conference this season in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll … It marks the first time in program history that the Bulls have been selected first in a preseason conference poll.
– The Bulls earned the top spot with 98 total points and eight of the 11 first-place votes … UCF (79) was picked to finish second and Tulane (78) third, while Cincinnati (73) and Temple (57) round out the top five teams in the preseason poll … Wichita State (54), Houston (49) and Memphis (40) were slotted sixth through eighth, respectively, with East Carolina (36), SMU (31) and Tulsa (10) rounding out the bottom three teams … UCF (1) and Cincinnati (2) were the only two other schools to earn first place votes.
– During the first seven years of The American, the Bulls were picked second five times (2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20), behind previous AAC member, UConn, which was selected first all seven seasons … USF finished third in 2013-14 and 2016-17.
TSINEKE, PINZAN EARN ALL-AAC HONORS
– In addition to the Bulls being picked first in The American preseason poll, sophomore guard Elena Tsineke and junior guard Elisa Pinzan were recognized by the league’s coaches, being named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference Second Team … Both players were also honored at the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign.
– Tsineke, the team’s top returning scorer from a year ago, averaged 12.4 points per game in 2019-20 and 12.6 points per outing in AAC games, en route to being named The American Freshman of the Year, Third Team All-Conference and to the AAC All-Freshmen Team.
– Tsineke shot 37.3 percent (115-307) from the field and hit 44 of her 138 shots from behind the three-point arc (31.9 percent), while also leading The American in free-throw shooting percentage, hitting 88.2 percent (60-for-68) from the charity stripe … She tallied double figures in 18 games on the year in 27 games played, and poured in 20-or-more points four times during her rookie campaign, including a career-high 25 points in a dominating 99-51 win over Temple.
– Pinzan established herself as one of the top point guards in The American during the 2019-20 campaign, while joining Tsineke as an All-Conference Third Team selection at the end of the year … She averaged 9.0 points per game, 4.5 assists per outing, and 2.9 rebounds per contest, in 27 games, including 24 starts … Despite missing five games during the season due to an ankle injury, Pinzan was the conference leader in assists per game, and was fourth in total assists (121) … In addition, she scored in double figures in 10 games on the year and handed out five-or-more assists 14 times.
MUNUNGA NAMED TO KATRINA MCCLAIN PRESEASON WATCH LIST
– Bethy Mununga is one of 20 players to be named to the Katrina McClain Watch List as the top power forward in America, as given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association … Mununga is the lone representative of the American Athletic Conference.
– Mununga proved to be one of the top post players in The American, during her first season with the Bulls, after transferring from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M … She was third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.2 points per game, and tops in rebounding, grabbing 10.1 boards per contest … Mununga’s rebounds per game average was second in The American, along with her total rebounds (292), in addition to being ranked 32nd and 36th in the nation, respectively … She averaged 3.8 offensive rebounds per game, good enough for second in The American and 26th in the nation.
FERNANDEZ WITHIN REACH OF MILESTONE: #400 CAREER WINS
– Jose Fernandez enters the 2020-21 season – his 21st as a head coach – within reach of a milestone victory … Fernandez boasts a 373-272 career coaching record on the with the Bulls, just 27 wins shy of his 400th career win … Fernandez won his 350th game on Feb. 23, 2019, when the Bulls defeated Wichita State in the Yuengling Center, 55-46.
– Coming into the season, only 140 coaches (with a minimum of 10 years in Division I) have reached the 400-win marker.
FERNANDEZ AMONG THE AMERICAN’S ELITE
– Fernandez also comes into the season as one of the elite coaches in the history of The American … Entering his 21st season, the Miami native is second all-time in overall wins – only trailing UConn head coach Geno Auriemma (252) – while coaching in the AAC with 162 victories, and is sixth all-time in winning percentage (67.8 percent, 162-77); third among head coaches with 100 or more games coached in the conference.
– In addition, in career American Athletic Conference league games, Fernandez is third all-time in conference wins with 83, and tied for third in conference winning percentage (70.3 percent, 83-35); second with over 100 games coached in the AAC.
USF & ESPN
The American Athletic Conference and ESPN begin a new 12-year television rights agreement this season that will see nearly all men’s and women’s games available for viewing either via traditional linear networks or digitally through ESPN+. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $5.99 monthly or $49.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services.
A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
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 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 –
