Box Score TAMPA, NOV. 19, 2016 – Behind a game-high 18 points by junior guard Geno Thorpe, including six in the final four minutes, the USF men's basketball team defeated Rider 70-65, Saturday at the Sun Dome.
The Broncs (2-1) led, 53-47, with 11:19 remaining in the game before the Bulls (2-1) went on a 16-7 run to take a 63-60 lead with 6:31 left to play. It was the 14th and final lead change of the game.
Thorpe finished 7-of-16 from the field and for the third time in as many games, led the Bulls in scoring. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native also led USF with five assists and three steals as the team's starting point guard.
Joining Thorpe in double figures was redshirt freshman Tulio Da Silva (Brazil) with 13 points, freshman Malik Fitts (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif) and sophomore Troy Holston (Queens, N.Y.). It was a break-out game for Fitts, who missed the season-opener due to an ankle injury. He also added five rebounds in 22 minutes of play.
The Broncs, who outrebounded the Bulls 43-33, were led by Xavier Lundy with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Quotables
USF head coach Orlando Antigua
On the win:
“It was a very good team win. I thought we did a lot of very good things in that second half. We made some adjustment from the first half in terms of the fouling we were doing. I thought we defended the 3-point line well and I can't say enough about our freshmen, in that first half to help us weather that foul storm when Rueben went out and Bo went out. Fitts and Mike coming in made some big plays for us so it was good. It was exciting to see. It was exciting for Fitts and especially since he's been out for a few weeks with the injury and now he's just starting to get himself working his way back and into game shape.”
On getting back in the game after Rider led by eight with 12:03 remaining:
“It was our defense and not fouling them, not letting them get points at the free throw line. We made the adjustment in the second half. I think in the first half we had 12 fouls and in the second half we only had five. I wish we would've been able to get a few more of those long rebounds down the stretch, but I thought our guys battled and tried to compete with a team that's a veteran and a physical team.”
On bouncing back after Thursday's loss to Elon:
There was a lot of stuff that was self-inflicted that we had to improve on and I thought we did a better job today with some of those things. We still got to get a little bit tightened up with our turnovers and giving the other team extra possessions. When you have a young team still learning and figuring things out as more practice and more time comes, we'll improve in those areas.”
“We're going to have plenty more challenges coming up. We have to be excited of what that growth is going to allow us to become, those challenges allowing us to grow.”
On junior forward Bo Zeigler:
“I thought Bo did a great job in the second half coming in, which didn't allow for me to get Malik Fitts back in because he (Bo) was doing such a good job defensively for us.”
Key Stat
· USF shot 50.0 percent from the field in the second half and held Rider to 31.4 percent, including a 1-of-13 effort from 3-point range.
Notables:
· Thorpe is averaging 17.7 points per game, which leads the team.
· Da Silva's 13 points was a season high.
· USF won the battle down low, outscoring Rider 37-24 in the paint.
· Thanks in large part to Fitts' 11 points, the USF bench outscored Rider's, 37-24.
· Both teams had 17 turnovers.
· USF was 6-of-19 from 3-point range. Its six 3-pointers was a season high.
· Michael Bibby entered the game as one of five players in the American Athletic Conference that was perfect from the free throw line. He missed two attempts with two seconds remaining.
Up Next:
USF hits the road for the first time this season when it takes on Florida Atlantic (0-3) Tuesday 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.
