TAMPA, NOV. 7, 2016 – An impressive Sun Dome debut by redshirt freshman forward Tulio Da Silva led the USF men's basketball team to a 72-64 win over Nova Southeastern on Monday.
Da Silva scored a game-high 26 points, on 11-of-17 shooting, and grabbed 16 rebounds, to help the Bulls win their only exhibition game of the season. The Brazilian made his much-anticipated debut after taking a redshirt last season. Da Silva, a former four-star recruit at Arlington Country Day in Jacksonville, showed his hops and athleticism with five dunks on the night.
USF extended its lead in the first half by playing solid defense. The Bulls held the Sharks to without a field goal for nearly nine minutes to lead by 19, their largest margin of the game, with 2:52 to play in the first half. NSU closed the half on a 13-3 run to send the Bulls into the locker room leading, 40-31.
USF's largest second-half lead of 15 dwindled down to five points on three separate occasions, the latest coming with 34 seconds remaining. The Bulls went 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 28 seconds to seal the win, including a 4-for-4 effort from sophomore guard Troy Holston.
Much like Da Silva, Holston also sat out last season after an injury in July of 2015. The Queens, N.Y., native finished second on the team with 15 points in 36 minutes of action.
Quotables
USF head coach Orlando Antigua
On the game:
“I think today's game was good because our guys were sick and tired of banging against one another. Just getting a chance to play against some live bodies. I think they were itchin' for that. I thought we did a really nice job with the amount of guys we had available, especially in the first half. Then we got a little fatigued and got into some foul trouble. But they gutted it out and that was good to see as well. It was good to see how we respond in a tough situation.”
On Tulio Da Silva:
“It was really good to see Tulio doing what he does, which is running the court, being athletic, finishing and rebounding the ball. It's exciting to see that. He's only scratching the surface for what he's capable of. He has some things that he has to tighten up, that we all have to tighten up, but I'm really happy and excited that he's a part of our university and our program.”
On Michael Bibby:
“I thought our guards did a solid job moving the ball. Obviously for Mike Bibby as a freshman having to play 39 minutes and doing the job that he did is exciting. Offensively I thought he did a lot of nice things for us running the club.”
Key Stat
· USF held NSU to 28.6 percent shooting from the field in the first half and 42.3 percent in the second half.
· USF dominated the paint, outscoring NSU 42-26 down low, including a 26-8 advantage in the first half.
· USF forced 17 NSU turnovers.
Notables:
· USF improved to 13-0 in exhibition games since 2005.
· Only seven USF players logged minutes. Bibby (39), Da Silva (37) and Holston (36) all played at least 36 minutes.
· Ruben Guerrero was the only USF player held scoreless.
· Senior forward Harrison Goodrick led the Sharks with 25 points and 12 rebounds. He was a member of the All-Sunshine State Conference Team last season.
Up Next:
USF plays its regular season opener on Friday at 7 p.m. against Florida A&M at the Sun Dome.
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.
