The Bulls look to finish the Duel in the Desert with a win over the Lady Rebels.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Dec. 20, 2019) – USF returns to the Cox Pavilion hardwood, in Las Vegas, on Saturday for its final game of the Duel in the Desert, when the Bulls will butt heads with the host UNLV Lady Rebels. Game time is slated for 3 p.m. ET. USF looks for its third win in the last four games.
GAME 13 | SAT., DEC. 21, 2019 | 3 P.M. ET | LAS VEGAS, NEV. | COX PAVILION
Live Stats | Watch Live | Listen Live
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: FloHoops.com ($) (GoUSFBulls.com)
Kit McConnico (PxP), Tom James (Analyst)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com)
Darek Sharp (PxP)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Series: USF leads, 3-1
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
Tickets: (702) 739-FANS (3267); UNLVTickets.com
-/RV USF BULLS | 7-5
Last Game: Dec. 19 vs. No. 15/15 Mississippi State, L, 86-61
Next Game: Dec. 30 vs. Brown, 5:30 p.m.
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 361-264 (20th season)
at USF: Same
UNLV LADY REBELS | 3-8
Last Game: Dec. 20 vs. Virginia, L, 63-55
Next Game: Jan. 1 at Utah State, 2 p.m.
Head Coach: Kathy Olivier
Alma Mater: UNLV, 1980
Career Record: 404-392 (27th Season)
at UNLV: 172-182 (12th Season)
QUICK HITS
– USF is coming off a tough 86-61 loss to No. 15/15 Mississippi State in the first game of the Duel in the Desert on Dec. 19 … Maria Alvarez led the team in scoring with a team-high 12 points … Kristyna Brabencova added 11 points and Elena Tsineke chipped in with 10 points in the loss … Tamara Henshaw led the way on the glass with 10 rebounds.
– USF has three players – Elena Tsineke (10.6), Bethy Mununga (10.4) and Maria Alvarez (10.3) – who are averaging double-figure points and two others who are netting no less than 7.5 points per game.
TICKET & PROMOTION INFORMATION
– For ticket questions or to purchase tickets, please visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-GoBulls … Single-game tickets are available; however; courtside seats are sold out for the 2019-20 season.
– After the holiday break, the Bulls will return to the Yuengling Center on Dec. 30 for a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Brown University, for their “New Year’s Eve Celebration” … Fans can post New Year’s resolutions on the resolutions board and fans 21 years or older can partake in the Champagne Bar.
UP NEXT FOR USF
– The Bulls will return to action following the holiday break, when Brown visits the Yuengling Center on Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. … USF will close out its short post-holiday home stretch when it opens American Athletic Conference play against Cincinnati on Jan. 5 at 2 p.m.
THE SERIES AGAINST UNLV
– Saturday will mark the fifth meeting all-time between USF and UNLV, with the Bulls holding a 3-1 series advantage … Three of the four meetings took place in Las Vegas, with the only game in Tampa being the first meeting on Dec. 20, 1997, a 55-46 USF win.
LAST TIME OUT
– USF had another opportunity to get a signature win over a Top 25 foe, however the Bulls didn’t have enough down the stretch as No. 15-ranked Mississippi State pulled away in the fourth quarter for an 86-61 win in the first game of the Duel in the Desert at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on Dec. 19.
– A trio of USF freshmen led the way for the Green and Gold with Maria Alvarez scoring a team-high 12 points … Kristyna Brabencova added 11 points and Elena Tsineke chipped in with 10 points in the loss … Tamara Henshaw led the way on the glass with 10 rebounds … In addition to her 11 points, Brabencova also grabbed eight rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots.
– Mississippi State jumped out to as much as a 17-point lead in the first quarter, 29-12, with just under a minute left, and led at the end of the first 10 minutes of play, 29-15 … USF settled down in the second quarter to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to seven, 29-22, with just over seven minutes left in the half on a jumper by Brabencova. Mississippi State eventually took a 47-37 lead into the locker room at the break.
– The Bulls stayed within striking distance in the second half, and got the Bulldogs’ lead down to one, 51-50, on two of Alvarez’ 12 points with five minutes left in the third … That was as close as USF got as Mississippi State outscored the Bulls 34-11 the rest of the way.
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 –
