TAMPA, DEC.  12, 2016 – After trailing by 19 points in the first half, the USF men's basketball team pulled off the biggest comeback in the Orlando Antigua era with a 79-73 overtime win over Bethune-Cookman on Monday.

The Bulls (5-3) committed 11 turnovers in the first 12 minutes of the game and trailed 39-20 with 5:09 left in the first half. USF's 13-point halftime deficit of 44-31, tied for its largest of the season.

The Bulls continued to trail in the second half. A 3-pointer by the Wildcats' leading scorer Brandon Tabb, gave B-C (3-8) a 42-57 lead with 10:42 remaining.

After a jumper by B-C's Reggie Baker made it 66-53 with 4:45 remaining, USF's defense tightened up and didn't allow another point for the remainder of regulation. An alley-oop dunk by junior forward Bo Zeigler (Detroit) from Geno Thorpe (Pittsburgh) from an out-of-bounds play sparked a rapid run of USF offense. A 3-pointer by sophomore Jahmal McMurray (Topeka, Kan.) cut the deficit to four points, 66-62, with 1:08 left to play. After a missed free throw by the Wildcats, USF had possession of the ball down 66-64 with 11.1 remaining. After being fouled, Thorpe hit two free throws with 6.1 seconds left to tie the game. Josue Salaam's 3-pointer was off target as the Bulls scored 13 unanswered points to force overtime.

McMurray scored seven of USF's 13 overtime points including another big 3-pointer to pull off the comeback.

It was the first home game of the season for McMurray, who was suspended the first six games of the season. He scored 16 in his season debut at George Washington and had 20 points on Monday on 7-of-16 shooting from the field, including 3-of-8 from three.

Zeigler finished a perfect 10-for-10 from the field in regulation. He missed his only two attempts of overtime to finish 10-for-12 and tie a career high with 20 points.

Freshman forward Tulio Da Silva (Brazil) scored all 12 of his points and 11 of his career-high 15 rebounds in the second half. It was his second-career double-double.

 Quotables

USF head coach Orlando Antigua
On USF's final possession of regulation:

“If we got an open three we were going to take it but we didn't want to settle for any open shots. We wanted to get the ball inside. It took us awhile to get that message, but I'm happy for the kids for fighting and finding a way to win.”

“In order for us to continue to progress we have to play a full 40 minute game with that intensity, focus, and heart.”

On Malik Fitts:

“He's doing great. He still has a lot to learn but we're excited about his growth and the possibility of his maturity going forward.”

On Bo Zeigler:

“Not only Bo's production but also his energy, fight, and spirit that we needed.  He is just coming back after struggling the last few days with sickness and it was good to see that. He definitely sparked us.”

On Geno Thorpe:

 “I thought Geno keeping the ball in his hands, making tough decisions and tough plays down the stretch and finishing the plays at the free throw line was huge.”

 Key Stats

·        In the final 9:45 of the game, USF outscored Bethune-Cookman 26-7.

·        USF outshot B-C, 51.8 percent to 36.5 percent from the field. USF entered the game ranked second in the American Athletic Conference in field goal percentage at 49.2 percent.

·        Due to the combined 40-point effort by McMurray and Zeigler, USF outscored B-C in bench points, 43-5.

Notables:

·        The biggest comeback under Antigua prior to Monday's win was when the Bulls overcame a 15-point deficit to defeat Hofstra, 71-70 on Nov. 25, 2014.

·        With McMurray and Zeigler each finishing with 20 points, it was the first time since Dec. 28, 2014 that two USF players scored at least 20 points. Anthony Collins and Chris Perry each had 21 points in a 75-61 win at Bowling Green.

·        Thorpe finished with eight points and a team-high six assists in 40 minutes of play

·        Three freshmen were in tonight's starting five: Michael Bibby, Malik Fitts, and Da Silva.

·        USF is 3-0 when Bibby is in the starting lineup.

·        Malik Fitts finished with a season-high 12 points. He was 3-of-6 from 3-point range. It was a career high of makes from beyond-the-arc.

·        USF leads the all-time series 15-1 over Bethune-Cookman.

·        The Wildcats were led by Tabb and Quinton Forrest with 21 points each.

Up Next:

USF hosts No. 15/16 South Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game is themed Uniendo Los Toros where the Bulls will wear special “Los Toros” uniforms for a Latino Celebration/Appreciation Game. The game pits two of the three Latino head coaches in NCAA Division I men's basketball in USF's Orlando Antigua and South Carolina's Frank Martin. Miami's Jim Larranaga is the other.

The War On I-4 Trophy will be on display during the pregame of Saturday's contest at Gate A. USF football players will also be available for autographs during that time. Also before the game, Guerrero will be presented the NCAA Male Sportsmanship Award after being named the winner in August. The first 300 fans in the building will be given a free Los Toros t-shirt and free pizza will be available in the student club for all USF students.

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.