TAMPA, Fla. (February 14, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team returned to the Yuengling Center on Wednesday for an American Athletic Conference showdown with Tulsa. Kobe Knox recorded a team-high 14 points as South Florida defeated Tulsa 69-50.
With the victory, South Florida improved to 18-5 overall and 11-1 in AAC play, while Tulsa fell to 12-12 overall and 3-9 in conference action.
The Bulls extended their winning streak to 10 conference games, extending the longest streak in program history. The 11 wins in conference play are the second most in program history behind the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12. The 10-game winning streak is the second-longest winning streak in program history, trailing only the 12-game streak set during the 1980-81 season.
After the Golden Hurricane opened the game on a 6-5 run, the Bulls answered with a 9-0. USF took a 14-6 lead with 16:11 left in the opening stanza. During the run for South Florida, Brandon Stroud came up with a huge block.
The two sides each went for eight points as South Florida held a 22-14 lead midway through the first half. Selton Miguel knocked down two 3-pointers and Jose Placer drained his first 3-pointer of the game as the Bulls extended their lead to 31-17 with just over seven minutes left in the half.
Tulsa outscored South Florida 9-8 over the next 3:11 of play, but USF led 39-26. The Bulls closed out the half with a 5-2 run and took a 44-28 lead into the break.
USF opened the second half on an 8-5 run capped off by a 3-pointer by Chris Youngblood. South Florida extended its lead to 52-33 with just under 16 minutes left in regulation.
Tulsa went on an 8-3 run and cut the South Florida lead to 55-42 with 11:46 left to play. The Bulls outscored the Golden Hurricane 5-4 over the next 4 minutes of play. During the run, Kobe Knox produced another highlight dunk.
Tulsa answered with a 4-0 run and cut the USF lead to 60-50 with 5:38 left in regulation. The Bulls responded with a 4-0 of their own to go up 64-50 with just under four minutes left in regulation. South Florida held Tulsa scoreless over the final 5:43 and claimed a 69-50 victory.
Knox finished with a team-high 14 points to go along with two rebounds and one block. Pryor recorded his seventh double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He dished out a game-high five assists. Miguel closed out the double-digit scorers with 10 points. He added three rebounds and three assists. Stroud finished tied for a game-high two blocks to go along with seven points, six rebounds, and one steal.
As a team, USF knocked down 13 3-pointers. It was the 10th time this season the Bulls made 10 or more 3-pointers. South Florida has made 10 or more 3-pointers in five of the last seven games. The USF bench outscored the TU bench 23-11.
PJ Haggerty recorded a game-high 19 points and was the only Tulsa player in double digits. He added a team-high six rebounds, a game-high four steals, three assists, and one block. Cobe Williams tied for a team-high six rebounds to go along with his seven points, team-high five assists, and two steals.
The Bulls held the Golden Hurricane to a season-low 50 points. Tulsa entered the game averaging 76.1 points per game. The stout USF defense held TU to its second-lowest field goal percentage of the season at 35.7 percent and its lowest 3-point percentage at 12.5 percent.
Notables
· The Bulls extended their winning streak to 10 conference games, extending the longest streak in program history.
· The 11 wins in conference play are the second most in program history behind the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12.
· The 10-game winning streak is the second-longest winning streak in program history, trailing only the 12-game streak set during the 1980-81 season.
· Kobe Knox notched his ninth game in double figures with 14 points. He added two rebounds and one block.
· Kasean Pryor recorded his seventh double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He dished out a game-high five assists.
· Selton Miguel posted his 19th game in double digits with 10 points. He added three rebounds and three assists.
Next Up
South Florida stays at home for a battle with No. 24 Florida Atlantic on Sunday, Feb. 18. Tip is scheduled for noon on ESPN in front of a sellout crowd.
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The South Florida men’s basketball team is led by Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was named the 11th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023. Abdur-Rahim was named the 2023 Mid-Major Coach of the Year (Hugh Durham Award) after leading Kennesaw State to its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2022-23. Abdur-Rahim’s Kennesaw State team set an NCAA record as the fastest team to ever reach the NCAA Tournament after a one-win campaign, accomplishing the feat in a span of just three seasons. He was also named the 2022-23 NABC District 3 and ASUN Coach of the Year after leading Kennesaw State to both the regular season and tournament titles, and a school-record 26 wins.
USF has retired three numbers in its history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30), and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com. Season tickets for the 2023-24 USF men’s basketball slate are on sale now. To purchase season tickets, click here.