by Carter Brantley

In an in-state matchup between the USF Bulls and the Stetson Hatters, the Bulls came out on top in a close 74-72 victory.

The game took place at the Yuengling Center Tuesday night in USF’s first game since going 2-1 at the Myrtle Beach Invitational last week.

USF was led by sophomore guard Jayden Reid, who dropped 23 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and 4-5 from the 3-point line.

Reid also managed to dish the ball quite effectively, ending up with an also team-leading 8 assists.

Starting big man Jamille Reynolds led the way on the boards with 9 total, 4 coming on the offensive end.

Former FSU big man De’Ante Green also contributed a nice stat line but did so in a limited 16 minutes off the bench, contributing 13 point, 6 rebounds and a trio of assists.

Kobe Knox was USF’s 3rd leading scorer with 12 points on a bit of a rough shooting night, but Knox and guard Kasen Jennings both tied for the team lead in steals for the evening with 3 apiece.

Speaking of steals, USF’s ability to force turnovers ended up being the difference in the game, as they came away with 12 steals as a team compared to the Hatters’ 7 in that category.

The Bulls also managed to find their way to the free throw line a bit more often than Stetson, even if they weren’t always able to convert, as USF went 10-18 from the line compared to the Hatters going 8-10 for the night from the stripe.

Stetson was led by guard Mehki Ellison, who led the team with 19 points for the night, and forward Josh Massey, who came in 2nd in scoring for the Hatters with 18 points. Each took 11 shots from the field but Massey contributed 5 boards and 4 assists, as well.

USF’s record advanced to 5-3 for the season with their victory Tuesday night.

Their next matchup takes place on the road against the Loyola Ramblers. The game takes place on Saturday, December, 7 at 12:30 pm.