Elena Tsineke continues her impressive play netting a season-high 27 points; Sammie Puisis adds 17 in the win.
Game Details
RV/RV USF 77, Temple 55
USF (13-4, 1-0 AAC), Temple (6-8, 1-1 AAC)
Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 | 5 p.m. | ESPNU
Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
Postgame Press Conference:Head Coach Jose Fernandez | Sammie Puisis and Elena Tsineke
Click Here For USF Highlights vs. Temple
TAMPA (Jan. 3, 2023) — The University of South Florida women’s basketball team outscored Temple, 44-25, in the second half as the Bulls picked up their second American Athletic Conference win in as many games with a 77-55 victory on Tuesday night at the Yuengling Center. The win, the Green and Gold’s third-straight and sixth in the last eight games, improves South Florida to 13-4 on the season and 2-0 in The American. The Owls fall to 6-8 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
Preseason American Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year Elena Tsineke poured in a season-high 27 points, just four points shy of equaling her career-high, while Florida State transfer and former McDonald’s High School All-American, Sammie Puisis, chipped in with 17 points in the win.
Preseason AAC First Team selection, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu recorded her fifth consecutive double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Daniela Gonzales had six points and six rebounds for the Bulls off the bench.
South Florida trailed after the first quarter, 16-15, and held a slight edge at the break, 33-30, while shooting just 42.4 percent from the field and committing nine turnovers. The Bulls, however, hit another gear in the second stanza shooting 51.8 percent (14-for-27) of their shots from the floor and only handing the ball over four times.
South Florida also took advantage of Temple’s 18 miscues turning the turnovers into 23 points on the night in addition to outscoring the Owls in the paint, 34-24.
Notable
- Tuesday’s starters for the Bulls were: G Elena Tsineke, G Aerial Wilson, F Sammie Puisis, F Carla Brito and F Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu … The Bulls are 11-4 with this lineup.
- The win over Temple improves the Bulls’ record against the Owls to 17-3 in the all-time series … The victory was also the Bulls’ fifth-straight and ninth in the last 10 games against the Owls.
- Elena Tsineke’s season-high 27 points against Temple – her third highest of her collegiate career – mark her 73rd career double-figure scoring game in her 96th career game with the Bulls.
- Tsineke’s 27-point performance is her seventh of the season and her third straight.
- Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu’s 16 points and 13 rebounds mark her 44th career double-double and her 19th game in a South Florida uniform.
- With her fifth rebound of the game against Temple, Fankam Mendjiadeu reached the 900-career rebound plateau (between Memphis and South Florida) … She finished the game with 908 for her career.
Up Next
Following its game against Temple, South Florida will head back on the road, and to America’s Heartland, to face Wichita State on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+).
The Bulls will return to the Yuengling Center, after they meet the Shockers, for a three-game in a four-game stretch beginning on Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. against Memphis (ESPN+) for the first of back-to-back home games.
Catch The Bulls on Bulls Unlimited & ESPN+
The majority of USF’s regular-season games will be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform. The American Athletic Conference and ESPN began a new 12-year television rights agreement which started in 2020-21. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
In addition, all games this season will be broadcast live on USF Bulls Unlimited, with Darek Sharp (home and away) and Brigid Merenda (for home games only) on the call. Bulls Unlimited is available via the free Tune In app (search “Bulls Unlimited’’) and provides static-free quality whether you’re listening on your streaming device, laptop or desktop.
About USF Women’s Basketball
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South Florida recorded its 10th 20-win season during the 2021-22 campaign while playing in its sixth American Athletic Conference championship game in its nine years in the conference. The Bulls achieved their highest national ranking of the season when it checked in at No. 13 in the Nov. 30 Associated Press Top 25 Poll, and advanced to their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in the last nine years.
USF has made 17 postseason tournament appearances and had eight NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 22 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to 10 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship, and has won over 400 career games. Fernandez was named a finalist for the WBCA and semifinalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Awards. He was also tabbed the 2021 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2020-21 campaign.
In 2021-22, the Bulls had three players recognized by The American for impressive seasons, including Elena Tsineke (All-Conference First Team), Bethy Mununga (All-Conference Second Team) and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (All-Conference Second Team).
In addition, Tsineke and Mununga were named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team.
–#GoBulls –
