USF women's hoops boast only top-40 scoring trio

Three of Top 40 scorers in the country on USF women's basketball lineup

Sean Barie reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - The USF women's basketball team was destined to have an elite offense this season.

"I'm not going to lie; I did not think we were going to be that good offensively," admits senior guard Elena Tsineke.

Surely, though, the Bulls thought they could light up the scoreboard.

"Honestly, no. I had my doubts," said senior Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu.

But while there were doubts on the bench, Bulls head coach Jose Fernandez always had faith that the offense would take care of itself.

"I wouldn't have scheduled November and December if I didn't think it was going to be good," Fernandez said. "I knew what we had coming in and I knew how good we were going to be."

Three players on the USF Women's Basketball team are averaging more than 15 points per game each.

Perhaps what no one on the team knew prior to the season was just where the points would be coming from, but the Bulls quickly found out thanks to the trio of Tsineke, Fankam Mendjiadeu, and Sammie Puisis each averaging more than 15 points per game.

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"We have three players doing that right now. I don't think I've ever had this in the four years I've been here," said Tsineke.

But with Tsineke at 17.7ppg, Dulcy scoring 16.9pp, and Puisis netting 15.6ppg, all three are currently top-40 in the country in scoring.

The Bulls are the only team that can say they have three scorers in the top-40.

"It's really hard to stop us," said Puisis. "One of us could be off but the other two are on so it's really hard to stop all three of us."

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Whether it's Elena from the point, Sammie from the wings or Dulcy in the paint, this trio of toros has lead USF to 14 wins in 18 games and accounts for more than 70 percent of the team's scoring.

"When you get to coach three guys like that, I think you look a lot smarter than who you are. And they've made me look a little smarter than what I am," joked Fernandez.

Meanwhile, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu was just added to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Nationall Player of the Year Watch List.

The Bulls are back in action Wednesday night against Memphis at home.