Postgame video
USF Coach Stan Heath
USF Players: Augustus Gilchrist, Jarrid Famous, Hugh Robertson
Providence Coach Keno Davis

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Game Stats PDF | Season Stats | BIG EAST Stats

TAMPA - The University of South Florida men's basketball team grabbed their first BIG EAST Conference win Sunday, beating Providence 79-72 in the Sun Dome.

Hugh Robertson led the team with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Close behind were Jarrid Famous with 15 points and 14 rebounds, giving him a double-double, and Jawanza Poland with 13 points and four rebounds.

Providence jumped out to an early lead of 22-12, going on a 10-0 run which ended at the 8:50 mark with an eight-foot jumper by Toarlyn Fitzpatrick. On the ensuing possession, Fitzpatrick interrupted a pass allowing USF to get the steal and score on a fast-break, with a Hugh Robertson dunk, shrinking the deficit to 22-16.

Last season in Rhode Island, Fitzpatrick hit the game-tying three to send the game into overtime, which led to a 109-105 USF victory.

With 1:42 to go in the half, Providence saw their largest lead of 17, which USF trimmed to 12 by halftime, with a score of 41-29.

The Bulls shot only 30.3 percent in the first half, with 10-of-33 shoots going in, while Providence hit 19-of-33, giving them a 57.6 field goal percentage. The Bulls shot better from the arc and the foul line, shooting 50 percent from behind the arc and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line. Providence only shot 20 percent from the 3-point line and 50 percent from the foul line.

At the 13:00 mark of the second half, the Bulls were strong in making their comeback, already having two alley-oop dunks, with Poland and Famous each rattling the rim, and Famous capping off a double-double, cutting the Providence lead to one with a score of 46-45.

The Bulls would find their first lead of the game midway through the second half, with Augustus Gilchrist knocking down an and-one after a dunk, to put the Bulls ahead 50-49. After that, there were four lead changes in the second half, compared to no lead changes in the first half. The Bulls jumped out to a four-point lead, with a three from Robertson, at 4:16 left in the game and never looked back winning 79-72.

In the second half the Bulls shot 52.9 percent from the field and ended with 41.8 percent for the game. The Bulls closed out the game in the last two minutes, making eight-straight free throws, with a final percentage of 82.6 going 19-for-23 at the line.

The Bulls will look to get on a hot streak, as they travel to Rutgers on Jan. 20, for a 7 p.m. tip-off. Rutgers comes into the game with only one BIG EAST win, coming against Providence.

Game Notes
- USF earned its first BIG EAST Conference win of the season with the 79-72 vicotry over Providence.
- USF scored more than 70 points for the fourth-straight game. Prior to this streak, USF had not scored more than 70 points in nine-straight games.
- USF has won the last three meetings against Providence, improving the Bulls' overall record to 4-5 against the Friars.
- USF defense held Vincent Council to just two points. Council came into the game averaging 15 points per night.
- USF won the rebounding battle 45-39, holding Providence's leading rebounder Bilal Dixon to only two rebounds. Dixon averages 8.1 rebounds per game.
- USF shot 52.9 percent from the field in the second half after shooting only 30.3 percent in the first half.
- USF outshot Providence from the free throw line, shooting 82.6 percent (19-23) for the game while PC shot a mere 52.6 percent (10-19).
-Jarrid Famous registered his 10th career double double.  Famous is tied for fifth in the BIG EAST for most career double doubles.  Famous tied a career high in rebounds with 14.  Famous had 14 rebounds on Dec. 22 against Cleveland State.  Against Providence, he had nine rebounds and seven points in the first eight minutes of the game.
-Hugh Robertson had his first double-digit scoring performance, with 17 points, since Jan. 6 against Villanova.  Robertson has had nine double-digit scoring performances this season.
- Jawanza Poland made his first three-point field goal since Dec. 18th against James Madison and his first trey in BIG EAST Conference play.
- Jawanza Poland had his third straight double-digit scoring performance with 13 points.  He has scored in double digits 12 times this season.
- Shaun Noriega has made a three-point field goal in four straight games.
- Anthony Crater had six assists, making it his sixth game this season with five or more assists.