Box Score TAMPA, NOV. 17, 2016 – USF (1-1) received a strong scoring performance from its backcourt, but Elon (2-1) hit 10 3-pointers and forced 19 turnovers to hand the Bulls their first loss of the season, 74-61, Thursday at the Sun Dome.
Overall, 42 of USF's 61 points were scored by three guards. Junior Geno Thorpe (Pittsburgh) led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, despite getting into early foul trouble in the first half. He also added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 30 minutes of play.
Michael Bibby showed poise as a true freshman, stepping in to replace Thorpe as the point guard for much of the first half. The Phoenix, Ariz., native scored 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting and made all five free throw attempts while committing just one turnover in 27 minutes.
Sophomore Troy Holston (Queens, N.Y.) scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including two 3-pointers.
USF mounted a 12-8 lead early in the game, before Elon scored 16 unanswered points to lead 24-12 with 9:14 left in the first half. The Phoenix took a 39-26 lead into the half.
The Bulls cut a 21-point second-half deficit to 13 with 7:50 remaining, but the Phoenix used the experience of 14 returning players, including four seniors, to close out the win.
Quotables
USF head coach Orlando Antigua
On the guard play:
“Troy started off by giving us a little spark by making some shots. So there were some positives from this that we've got to continue to build on and we've got to take care of the ball a little bit better.”
On Guerrero being assertive:
“We're asking a lot from Rueben and we'll continue to demand that because he's capable of doing it.
What hurt us was really Geno getting that second foul and having to sit for a little while in the middle of that run that they made. But you have to give them credit. They made all the shots in that little run.”
On Elon shooting from the perimeter:
“We knew they were a team averaging 95 points a game and for us to be able to hold them under 80 was one of our goals and to try to hold them under 40% from the floor and we were close.
On using USF's size:
“They (Elon) make you think that those shots are available to you and there were some shots that were a little bit uncharacteristic of us that we took that we needed to make sure we corrected and I think we did that in the second half.”
Key Stat
· Bo Zeigler's final totals of eight points and eight rebounds all came in the second half.
Notables:
· Junior center Ruben Guerrero (Spain) fouled out with 7:28 remaining in the game. He was held scoreless and had six rebounds.
· Freshman forward Malik Fitts (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) made his collegiate debut. He was scoreless and had one steal in five minutes of action. He had been unavailable the previous game due to injury (ankle).
· Redshirt freshman forward Tulio Da Silva (Brazil) finished one rebound shy of the double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds in 38 minutes.
· Elon entered the game ranked 16th in the NCAA with 98.0 points per game.
· Elon was 10-of-30 from 3-point range and got a 3-for-3 effort from Luke Eddy.
· Elon was led by Brian Dawkins and Steven Santa Ana who had 13 points each.
Up Next:
USF hosts Rider on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The USF men's basketball team is led by Orlando Antigua, who is in his third season as the head coach after spending the previous six season as an assistant to Naismith Hall of Fame coach John Calipari. The Bulls return five from last season's team including American Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team member Jahmal McMurray who scored the second-most points ever by a USF freshman last season. The Bulls will also have four additions that sat out last season; Tulio Da Silva, Troy Holston, Isaiah Manderson and Geno Thorpe.
USF has retired three numbers in its 46-year history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30) and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids and appeared in the NIT eight times. In the 2011-12 season, USF was one win away from an appearance in the Sweet 16.
To renew season tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
