By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

UNCASVILLE, Conn., MARCH 8, 2019 – Elisa Pinzan neared a triple-double while Enna Pehadzic and Tamara Henshaw also put together standout performances to help USF punch its ticket to the conference quarterfinals with a 61-52 victory over Tulane on Friday.

After a halftime tie, fifth-seeded USF (17-14) pulled away in the fourth quarter and advanced to the American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals for the sixth straight season. The Bulls will face fourth-seeded Houston on Saturday at noon back at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Pinzan was a poised playmaker in her first-ever conference tournament game and produced big results in a full 40 minutes. The freshman point guard from Murano, Italy finished with 11 points and eight assists on top of setting new career highs with seven rebounds and five steals.

Pehadzic, an all-conference pick, continued her impressive sophomore season with a game-high 23 points and six rebounds. The guard from Horsens, Denmark has scored in double figures in 11 straight games.

Henshaw matched a career high with 15 rebounds and scored 15 points to register her 10^th double-double as a Bull. The junior post from Palm Coast, Fla., totaled 13 points and 10 rebounds in the second half after 12^th-seeded Tulane (15-15) tied the score at 28-28 with a buzzer-beating jumper before the break.

Unanimous AAC All-Freshman Team selection Sydni Harvey (Nashville, Tenn.) added eight points and sparked an important 9-0 Bulls run after Tulane pulled within three midway through the fourth quarter.

Pehadzic and Pinzan combined for 20 points in the first half that ended in a 28-28 tie after Tulane closed the second quarter on a 6-0 run. Pinzan scored eight points in the half and already set a new career high with seven rebounds to go along with four assists.

The lead changed hands multiple times in the third quarter before the Bulls took control down the stretch with a 6-0 run that extended their advantage to 47-39. Henshaw scored three of her nine points in the quarter during the late surge.

Tulane cut its deficit to three midway through the fourth quarter, but USF secured its third win over the Green Wave this season with a 9-0 run that ended in the final minute of play.

Quotable
Head coach Jose Fernandez on the Bulls opening the conference tournament in winning fashion:
"I think the difference was how we rebounded the ball in the second half, especially on the offensive end of the floor. We have a lot of guys that have never been here before. This is a little different for us, too. We've never played on the first day, so it's been a little bit of an adjustment. I just told our young guys this could be the last game we play this year and how important it is to continue to win and advance in this tournament."
 
Fernandez on how the injury-riddled Bulls have continued to produce with young players stepping up in key roles:
"They just continue to amaze me every day because a lot of these kids, we didn't have a lot of expectations for them. I think they needed a year to play in our system and they were probably going to play some limited roles, play 8-10 minutes. Now we're asking these young ladies to play 32-40 minutes. It's a credit to the kids we have in our program, and how we've recruited and how we've developed, and the character and all the great things that happen in that locker room. But I have an unbelievable staff as well that have continue to teach, that have stayed positive and that have gotten our position players better. These guys have just kept believing and kept fighting."

Fernandez on freshman guard Elisa Pinzan's all-around performance:
"She was the X factor today. I thought for her first time being up here, as a freshman and having the game that she had, she was the key."

Key Stats
9-0 – Up by three, USF pulled away with a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter while keeping Tulane scoreless for four-plus minutes.
39-33 – USF's winning margin in rebounds, including a 19-13 edge in offensive boards. The Bulls scored nine of their 12 total second-chance points after the break.
46 – The Bulls shot 46 percent from the field in the second half following a 28-28 tie at the break.

Notables

• USF advanced to the AAC quarterfinals for the sixth straight season.
• USF is attempting to extend its title game streak this weekend. The Bulls have advanced to the championship game of the AAC tournament every year since 2015.
• Prior to the tournament, Enna Pehadzic was named to the American Athletic Conference Second Team while Sydni Harvey was a unanimous selection to The American's All-Freshman Team. Learn more HERE.
• USF improved to 3-0 against Tulane this season. The Bulls have won all 12 meetings with Tulane since the Green Wave joined The American in 2014-15.
• The Bulls now own a 10-5 record in the AAC tournament since its inception in 2013-14.
• Tamara Henshaw posted the 10^th double-double of her career (fifth of the season) with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
• Elisa Pinzan set new career highs in rebounds (7) and steals (5) while matching her career best with eight assists.
• USF is without star Kitija Laksa (knee), Beatriz Jordao (leg) and Silvia Serrat (knee) for the season. The Bulls also have been without Laura Ferreira (heart condition) since January.

Up Next
Fifth-seeded USF will see fourth-seeded Houston in Saturday's first conference quarterfinal matchup that's set for noon at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Watch the game on ESPN3 and view the full schedule at the AAC's championship central page HERE.
 
About USF Women's Basketball
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USF notched its sixth consecutive 20-win season and fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18. It marked the ninth 20-win season in program history, with head coach Jose Fernandezat the helm for all nine. The Bulls posted 26 wins in 2017-18, just shy of the program record of 27 set in 2008-09 and 2014-15.