The USF Bulls women’s basketball team is one of the best all-around programs in the athletic department. In 2022-23, the Bulls are 23-5 and have the #1 seed in the AAC Conference tournament next month. Coming off a dominating 73-44 win at UCF on Wednesday, the program is in search of yet another conference title and a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Against UCF, Elena Tsineke led with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor. A 5’7″ Senior guard, Tsineke averages 17.4 points per game with three rebounds and three assists. Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu scored 18 points in 32 minutes and Sammie Puisis added 12 of her own.
The Bulls led by as many as 31 points in the game, while UCF never held the lead. USF shot 47.5% from the floor and 39.1% beyond the arc. They outrebounded UCF 47-33 and forced 17 Knights turnovers. With the win, the Bulls earned their 23rd win of the season. Up next, USF hosts SMU on Saturday at 4:30 EST inside the Yuengling Center.
Bulls head coach Jose Fernandez continues to lead the program to dominance in the conference. With a current 12-3 conference record, Fernandez will lead the Bulls to its second straight AAC regular-season title. In 2021-22, Fernandez led USF to a 19-4 overall record and a 13-2 record in conference play that saw the Bulls win both the AAC regular-season and tournament titles.
South Florida is seeking its ninth NCAA tournament appearance in school history under Fernandez. The Bulls can earn their third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance this season, which would mark the first time in program history the women’s basketball program has made the Big Dance three years in a row.
In his 22nd season as head coach, Fernandez has continued to put USF in the national spotlight in women’s college basketball. The past two seasons have been nothing short of excellent and the ending to the 2022-23 season could be even better. The way USF is playing, the Bulls have the talent to make a deep run in March.
The 2023 AAC Conference tournament begins on Monday, March 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Being the #1 seed, USF will get an extra day of practice and will face the winner of the No. 8 seed vs No. 9 seed on Tuesday at 1 pm EST. The championship game will be on Thursday, March 9 at 9 pm EST.