USF Athletics

A Big Opportunity Sits on the Doorstep for No. 9-Seeded South Florida

March 14, 2022

By Joey Johnston
 
There wasn't even enough time for nerves. The USF women's basketball team didn't wait long to learn its NCAA Tournament fate when ESPN announced the 68-team bracket on Sunday night.
 
It could be measured with a stopwatch — about 20 seconds.
 
In the second matchup shown during the bracket reveal, the No. 9-seeded Bulls (24-8), the American Athletic Conference Tournament runner-up, drew the No. 8 Miami Hurricanes (20-12), the ACC Tournament runner-up, in a first-round game at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
 
"Our name came up faster than I expected,'' Bulls senior forward Bethy Mununga said. "There wasn't even enough time to worry. We know who we're playing now, so let's go. Let's play the way we know we can.''
 
Yes, it's again the dreaded 8-9 game that USF hoped to avoid. But the excited Bulls weren't talking about dread upon learning their matchup. They saw opportunity — even when faced with the possibility of facing the tournament's overall No. 1 seed, the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks (29-2), on their home court. The Gamecocks will face a No. 16 seed (the Howard-Incarnate Word winner).
 
"If we just play our best basketball, we can beat anybody in the country,'' Bulls point guard Elisa Pinzan said. "We showed that in the Bahamas (when USF defeated two top-10 teams, Oregon and defending national champion Stanford). That's the mindset we need to have.''
 
"The first game is the most important one,'' said USF coach Jose Fernandez, whose team has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the last nine seasons (taking out the 2019-20 COVID-cancelled season). "One at a time. You've got to get through Miami before you have a chance to play South Carolina. Our complete focus is on Miami.''
 
Miami will pose a formidable challenge. The Hurricanes, seeded No. 7 in the ACC Tournament, stunned Louisville 61-59 in the quarterfinals by rallying from a late 15-point deficit. They upset Notre Dame 57-54 in the semifinals before bowing to NC State 60-47 in the championship game.
 
Hurricanes coach Katie Meier, in her 17th season at UM, will rely on senior guard Kelsey Marshall (team-leading 14 points per game) and senior forward Destiny Harden, who had 27 points in the comeback win against Louisville. Similar to USF, the Hurricanes have a substantial international presence (nine players from outside America).
 
UM is making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Hurricanes made the NCAA field in five straight seasons (2015-19), but it's their first trip since then.
 
There's some familiarity between USF and UM. Earlier this season, the two teams were in the Bahamas at the same time — in different tournaments — and they have scrimmaged each other in recent preseasons. UM leads the all-time series 27-11, but the Bulls and Hurricanes haven't played since the 2010-11 season.
 
"Love their program, love their coach, love their staff,'' Meier told reporters in Miami. "They do a great job. They're tough as nails. Both teams will be like, 'OK, we know this opponent.' So that will help. … We know South Florida. They've played No. 1 seeds this year. We've played No. 1 seeds this year. It's a tough bracket. It's the toughness bracket. There's a lot of grit in this bracket.''
 
USF was a No. 8 seed last season, when it won the AAC Tournament. This season, the Bulls were beaten three times by UCF (which earned a No. 7 seed and the right to face the No. 10 Florida Gators in Storrs, Conn.), including a 53-45 decision in Thursday's AAC title game at Fort Worth, Texas.
 
Fernandez was pleased that the NCAA Selection Committee recognized USF's overall body of work, including the victories against Stanford and Oregon, plus the scheduling of traditions powerhouses Tennessee and UConn.
 
"We were in a lot of close ballgames,'' Fernandez said. "The difference was we didn't do a good enough job closing out some of those games in the fourth quarter.
 
"A lot of very good teams aren't in the NCAA Tournament, so we're very thankful and grateful to be there. We have the experience from last season (second-round loss against No. 1-seeded NC State). I think that means something. So we'll start our preparations now and get ready to go.''

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South Florida recorded its 10^th 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.
 
The Bulls had three players, during the 2021-22 campaign, 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.