The Bulls begin three out of four game stretch at home with the Knights.
TAMPA (Jan. 18, 2020) – USF returns to the Yuengling Center on Sunday for the first of two meetings this season against UCF in the War on I-4. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. (ESPN2). The Bulls are looking for their fourth win in their last five games, and their third win in their last five games against the Knights.
GAME 18 | JAN. 19, 2020 | 3 P.M. | TAMPA, FLA. | YUENGLING CENTER | ESPN2
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: ESPN2
Roy Philpott (PxP), Brooke Weisbrod (Analyst)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com)
Jim Louk (PxP), Brigid Merenda (Analyst)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Series: USF leads, 28-11
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
Tickets: (800) Go-Bulls; USFBullsTix.com
USF BULLS | 10-7 (2-1, AAC)
Last Game: Jan. 16 at Temple, L, 69-66
Next Game: Jan. 22 at Wichita State, 7:30 p.m.
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 364-266 (20th season)
at USF: Same
UCF KNIGHTS | 9-6 (1-2, AAC)
Last Game: Jan. 16 vs. UConn, L, 59-52
Next Game: Jan. 22 at Tulane, 8 p.m.
Head Coach: Katie Abrahamson-Henderson
Alma Mater: Iowa, 1990
Career Record: 319-144 (14th season)
at UCF: 78-36 (Fourth season)
QUICK HITS
– After playing four of the last six on the road, Sunday marks the first of three home games that USF will play in its next four outings … The Bulls will also face Tulane (Jan. 26) and Houston (Jan. 29) at home to close out the month of January.
– USF is coming off a tough 69-66 loss at Temple on Jan. 16 … Elena Tsineke led the way with a career-high 20 points and Sydni Harvey added 19 points in the loss … Bethy Mununga grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
– USF has three players – Elena Tsineke (12.7), Sydni Harvey (11.1) and Bethy Mununga (10.6) – averaging double-figure points, and three others netting 7.5 points per game or better.
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.
– The Bulls return to the Yuengling Center on Sunday to face UCF in the first of two editions of the War on I-4 … Tip-off against the Knights is slated for 3 p.m. (ESPN2) … Fans in attendance will receive a Slime Rally Towel and Green Afros … In addition, family and friends of USF students can get discounted tickets for both the women’s and men’s (Feb. 1) War on I-4 basketball home games … They can either get upper sideline seats for $10 or baseline seats for $7 … That is a discount of 50 percent off for the men’s ticket and 35 percent off for the women’s … The link to purchase these tickets can be found at https://usf.spinzo.com/?group=19FamilyFriendsWeekend … Additional information can be found on the link.
UP NEXT FOR USF
– After their game against UCF, the Bulls head back on the road, and back to America’s Heartland – for the second time in the last four games – to take on Wichita State on Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ADN) … The Bulls then close out the month of January with two straight at home against Tulane, on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. (BullsVision) and then Houston on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. (ADN).
A QUICK LOOK AT THE BULLS
– In just 12 games, Elena Tsineke has already 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 … A native of Greece, Tsineke leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game … She has scored double figures in nine of the 12 games she has played in, including a career-high 20-point effort at Temple on Jan. 16 … Tsineke was 7-for-15 (46.7 percent) from the field, including 4-for-7 (57.1 percent) from behind the arc, and a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line … 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 42.0 percent (50-for-119) from the field, including 37.3 percent (22-for-59) from behind the arc, and 85.7 percent (30-for-35) from the free-throw line.
– Bethy Mununga comes into Sunday’s game averaging just shy of a double-double in the 14 games she has played this season … She missed three games – Idaho, Mississippi State and UNLV – with a hamstring injury … Her 10.6 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per outing are third and first on the team, respectively, and her rebounds per game average is second in The American, through Jan. 16 … She has scored in double figures in eight of the 14 games played, including career-highs of 16 points at Baylor (Nov. 19), against Brown (Dec. 30) and Cincinnati (Jan. 3) … She’s shooting 50.8 percent (60-for-118) from the field on the year.
– Mununga has recorded a double-double in six of the 14 games she has played in … She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight games this season.
– Elisa Pinzan had a season-high 14 points against No. 2/2 Baylor on Nov. 19 on 5-for-14 (32.7 percent) shooting from the field, and 4-of-7 (57.1 percent) from behind the arc … Despite missing five games – Idaho, Mississippi State, UNLV, Brown and Cincinnati – due to an ankle injury, she continued to lead the team in assists per game, and is currently dishing out 4.7 per outing … Pinzan handed out seven assists in back-to-back games, at Tulsa on Jan. 12 and at Temple on Jan. 16, in the two games back following her injury.
– Tamara Henshaw, second on the Bulls in rebounding, comes into the game against UCF with 812 career rebounds, reaching the 800-rebound plateau with her seven boards against Cincinnati on Jan. 5 … She is now just 11 rebounds shy of joining Nalini Miller (2003-07) in seventh all-time with 823.
– Henshaw is ninth in the AAC in rebounds per game, grabbing 7.4 per outing, through Jan. 16.
SCOUTING UCF
– UCF comes into its game with USF with a 9-6 overall record, and a 1-2 mark in The American, following its tough 59-52 loss to UConn on Jan. 16 … The Knights have won five of their last seven, however have dropped their last two straight games.
– UCF has two players averaging double figures in the scoring column led by Kay Kay Wright and her 15.1 points per game … Joining Wright is Brittney Smith, netting 10.0 points per outing … In addition, Masseny Kaba leads the team on the glass, grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game.
THE SERIES AGAINST THE KNIGHTS
– Sunday’s game marks the 40th meeting between USF and UCF, in the War on I-4, with the Bulls holding a 28-11 series lead, dating back to the inaugural meeting in January of 1973 … USF holds a commanding 17-2 advantage over the Knights in games played in Tampa.
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 –
