USF Athletics

No. 4 Seed USF Ready to Take on Top-Seeded UConn in AAC Semis

March 08, 2020

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• Game Notes (PDF)

TAMPA (March 8, 2020) – No. 4 seed USF returns to the American Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals for the seventh straight season to face top-seeded UConn on Sunday. The winner will advance to the tournament championship. Game time is slated for 4 p.m. (ESPN2).
 
The Bulls look for their fifth win in their last six games and their seventh win in their last 10 outings.
 
GAME 32 | MARCH 8, 2020 | 4 P.M. | UNCASVILLE, CONN. | MOHEGAN SUN ARENA | ESPN2
 
American Athletic Conference Tournament Central
Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live | USF Tournament Notes
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: ESPN2                                          
Roy Philpott (PxP), Brooke Weisbrod (Analyst)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com)
Josh Appel (PxP)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Series: UConn leads series, 31-0
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
Tickets: Ticketmaster.com
 
(4) USF BULLS | 19-12
Last Game: March 7 vs. (5) Tulane, W, 64-50
Next Game: March 9 vs. TBA (AAC CH.) (if necessary), 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 373-271 (20th season)
at USF: Same
 
(1) UCONN HUSKIES | 27-3
Last Game: March 7 vs. (8) Temple, W, 94-61
Next Game: March 9 vs. TBA (AAC CH.) (if necessary), 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Geno Auriemma
Alma Mater: West Chester, 1981
Career Record: 1,088-142 (35th season)
at UConn: Same 
 
QUICK HITS
- The Bulls come into their game against UConn looking for their 20th win of the season, which would mark the seventh time in the past nine years that they would have accomplished that feat.
 
- USF is coming off a 64-50 win on Saturday over Tulane in the AAC quarterfinals ... The Bulls were led by Sydni Harvey with a career-high 28 points and Elena Tsineke with 14 ... Bethy Mununga and Shae Leverett added 14 and 11 rebounds, respectively.
 
- Elena Tsineke (12.5) and Sydni Harvey (12.0) are averaging double-figure points, while four others are netting 7.0 points or more ... Bethy Mununga is leading the team in rebounding (10.2) … In addition, Tamara Henshaw is just 10 rebounds shy of 900 for her career.
 
A LOOK AHEAD
- The winner of the USF vs. UConn semifinal game will face the winner of semifinal game two between second-seeded UCF and the No. 3-seed Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference Championship game on Monday at 7 p.m. (ESPN2).
 
THE SEEDS
- USF's No. 4 seed in this year's AAC Women's Basketball Championship is its third highest since joining The American for the 2013-14 campaign, and its first-ever as a four … The Bulls were seeded either second or third for the first five AAC Tournaments, before being slotted in as the five seed last year, following an injury-ridden year.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
- This marks the seventh appearance for USF in the American Athletic Conference Championship … Last year, as a No. 5 seed, its lowest seed since joining The American, the Bulls defeated the 12 seed, Tulane, 61-52, in the first round, and then the four seed, Houston, 72-55, in the quarterfinals … USF bowed out of the tournament, falling in the semifinals to top-seeded UConn, 81-45.
 
- The Bulls have never been eliminated from the tournament prior to the semifinals, and have played in the championship game in four of the six AAC tournaments, including in four of the last five.
 
USF IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS
- USF enters its seventh American Athletic Conference Championship ... USF is 20-35 all-time in postseason conference tournaments, and 12-6 in the AAC tourney ... USF has won at least two games in its last six AAC Tournament appearances, and at least one game in its last nine straight appearances in The American and the BIG EAST Conference ... The Bulls have also advanced to at least the semifinals of the AAC Tournament in their seven previous appearances, and to the championship game in four of the six.
 
- USF has advanced to the quarterfinals in 13 of its league tournaments (Conference USA, BIG EAST and The American) and are 7-7 in quarterfinal games all-time ... In addition, the Bulls have played in the conference semifinals six times and are 4-2 in semifinal match-ups.
 
- The Bulls went 15 years (1982-83 - 1996-97) as members of the Sun Belt, Metro Conference, and their first two seasons in Conference USA, before they won their first conference tournament game on Feb. 27, 1998 as a nine seed with a 77-62 win over eighth-seeded Saint Louis in the C-USA first round.
 
- USF has played in four championship games, in as many years (2014-15 - 2017-18), with all the finals appearances coming as a member of The American, and all coming against eventual champion UConn.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST UCONN
- Sunday's game between USF and UConn marks the 32nd meeting between the two schools, dating back to the 2002-03 campaign ... The Huskies are holding a 31-0 lead in the all-time series ... Both schools met for the final time in conference play on March 2 in Hartford for the regular season finale, with UConn coming out on top, 80-39.
 
- USF and UConn have been conference mates since the 2005-06 campaign, when the Bulls joined the BIG EAST, and before both schools joined The American for the 2013-14 season.
 
- The two teams played one overtime game in the series with that coming in the second meeting on Dec. 1, 2004 in Storrs ... UConn won, 75-65, after outscoring the Bulls 10-0 in the extra session.
 
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.