It was a packed house at the Yuengling Center on Sunday afternoon, featuring two all-time rivals between the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Coming into the game, USF was undefeated in the American Athletic Conference at a perfect 6-0 record, with an overall record of 17-4. Meanwhile, UCF came into the game with a few less games played and a 10-7 overall record.
Recap
In the first quarter, freshman Carla Brito from Las Palmas, Spain lead the way with nine points and three rebounds to propel USF to a commanding 23-12 lead.
Heading into the second quarter, the Bulls extended their lead to 17 early on; Senior Elena Tsineke from Thessaloniki, Greece scored basket after basket and got the crowd loud and proud. She finished the quarter with a game-high 16 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the field, and leading the way as the Bulls lead at halftime, 46-24.
In the third quarter, UCF started off on a 6-0 run, however, the Bulls kept their dominance, keeping a steady lead of 20 points. Junior Sammie Puisis from Mason, Ohio hit two three pointers to get the crowd on their feet towards the end of the frame.
The fourth quarter sealed the win for the USF Bulls. The Yuengling Center went into a frenzy of claps and cheers as the Bulls closed the game off with a 83-51 win over the rival UCF Knights.
USF had the leading scorer and rebounder in this game. Tsineke finished with 21 points and redshirt Senior Dulcy Fankam Menddjiadeu from Nkongsamba, Cameroon finished with 13 rebounds to go along with her 17 points and was perfect from the free throw line, going 6-of-6.
Up Next
The USF Bulls Women’s Basketball team will head on the road to visit Tulsa and Memphis for their next two games before returning home to face Eastern Carolina for Team Tykes night on Tuesday, January 31st.
The War on I-4 part two rematch between USF and UCF will take place on Wednesday, February 15th in Orlando at 7 PM.
BULLS WIN 83-51!
USF takes down rival UCF in women’s college basketball! pic.twitter.com/kOhF5r2xY7
— FL Teams (@FLTeams) January 22, 2023