Bulls basketball newsletter: USF has two resounding wins
USF won back-to-back games by double-figures to pull near the top of the American Conference standings
USF vindicates its conference-opening loss with an 82-69 win over UAB
The last time USF played UAB, it ended in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss for the Bulls. On Wednesday night, they avenged that defeat.
The South Florida Bulls defeated the UAB Blazers 82-69 on Wednesday night.
The win improved the Bulls to 4-2 in conference play and 3-0 on the road against American Conference foes.
USF earned the win on the back of a strong first half, leading UAB by 11 at the break. The Bulls shot 7 of 15 from 3-point range in the opening half, while the Blazers shot just 30.6% from the floor.
Senior guard Joseph Pinion led the Bulls with 23 points, including 13 in the first half. Pinion made six 3-pointers, marking the fifth game this season he has knocked down five or more shots from beyond the arc — a program record.
Senior forward Izaiyah Nelson added 16 points and 10 rebounds. It was Nelson’s 13th double-double of the season, the second most in the country.
USF’s defense was stifling throughout the night. UAB shot 29% from the floor and just 16% from 3-point range. It marked only the third time this season the Blazers were held under 70 points.
The 29% shooting performance was the lowest field-goal percentage USF has allowed a Division I opponent to shoot this season.
Senior forward Daniel Rivera led UAB with 14 points, while junior guard Jacob Meyer added 13.
USF improved to 6-1 following a loss this season.
After the bounce-back win, the Bulls returned home for a pivotal American Conference matchup against an in-state foe.
Bulls use dominant second half to thump FAU, secure signature win
USF’s first half was described as “horrendous” by head coach Bryan Hodgson. The second half, however, was something special.
The South Florida Bulls flipped the script after halftime and ran away from the Florida Atlantic Owls 89-75 on Sunday afternoon.
The loss dropped FAU to 6-2 in conference play and pulled the Bulls within a half-game of first place in the American Conference.
“We played as good of a 20 minutes of basketball as we’ve played all year,” Hodgson said after the game. He added the team had a “come-to-Jesus meeting” in the locker room at halftime.
USF outscored the Owls 56-39 in the second half. The Bulls used a 15-4 run to open up a 12-point lead with eight minutes remaining.
USF continued to outscore FAU over the final eight minutes after building the double-digit advantage, a pivotal development for a Bulls team that previously struggled to close. In USF’s last two home losses against UAB and Wichita State, the Bulls squandered double-digit second-half leads.
Hodgson credited his team’s ball security and transition defense for the improved finish.
The Bulls committed nine turnovers in the first half, which led to 11 FAU points. In the second half, USF turned the ball over just once and scored 13 points off six Owls turnovers.
Senior guard Wes Enis led the Bulls with 19 points, scoring 16 in the second half. Nelson finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, recording his 14th double-double of the season.
FAU sophomore guard Devin Vanterpool scored a game-high 22 points, while junior guard Kanaan Carlyle added 16. The duo is the highest-scoring guard tandem in the American and accounted for more than half of FAU’s points.
The 89 points were the most FAU has allowed in a game this season.
A season-high crowd of 4,833 attended Sunday’s game at the Yuengling Center.
“What a crowd. Unbelievable college basketball atmosphere — it 100% factored in,” Hodgson said.
The Bulls will head back on the road this week for games against Tulane and Temple.
Checking in around the American
The top of the American Conference remains crowded, with five teams holding two conference losses. FAU holds a half-game lead over USF, Tulsa, Temple and Charlotte, who are all tied for second place.
The biggest story in the conference this week is the continued struggles of Memphis. The Tigers were blown out in back-to-back road losses at Tulsa and Wichita State and now sit at 4-3 in conference play and 9-10 overall.
Charlotte continues to be the American’s most surprising team. The 49ers entered conference play with a 6-7 record but have gone 5-2 in league play, including a key home win over Tulane on Friday night.
UTSA remains winless in conference play at 0-8, the only team without a league victory. Last week’s 70-64 loss to Temple marked the Roadrunners’ first single-digit conference defeat of the season.
Key matchups this week include Charlotte at Temple on Wednesday night, Memphis at FAU on Thursday night, USF at Temple on Saturday and Wichita State at Tulsa on Sunday.