Box Score TAMPA, JAN. 25, 2017 – The University of South Florida men's basketball team (6-13, 0-8 The American) overcame an early double digit deficit and rallied to take a second half lead but the UConn Huskies (9-11, 4-4) pulled away late for an 81-60 victory at the Sun Dome on Wednesday.
The Huskies started the contest with seven consecutive points, putting the Bulls in an early deficit. USF would push back quickly though, pulling within two points, 14-12, on a Luis Santos (Queens, N.Y.) layup with 12:32 to play.
Freshman guard Michael Bibby (Phoenix) and redshirt freshman forward Tulio Da Silva (Brazil) would keep USF close in the opening half. Both players tallied nine points in the opening stanza, including three treys made by Bibby, as USF was down just 35-33 at half.
The Bulls started quickly in the second half, taking their first lead, 41-40, on a jumper from sophomore guard Troy Holston (Queens, N.Y.) at the 16:34 mark. Following a three from UConn, USF answered with a trey from junior guard Geno Thorpe (Pittsburgh) to retake a 44-43 advantage.
The Huskies then went on a 26-11 run, regaining the lead and never relinquishing it in the road victory.
Guard Jalen Adams paced UConn with a team-high 20 points and 12 assists.
Quotable
Interim head coach Murry Bartow on how the game shifted:
“Well, it was kind of a tale of two halves. I thought the first half we played really well. We were two down at half. Honestly, I thought we could've been up six or eight at half. We did a lot of good things the first 20 minutes of the game. In the second half, we came out and we played pretty well during the first five or six minutes. Things were going the way we wanted them to go but obviously the last few minutes was all UConn.”
Coach Bartow on his team:
“They are a really resilient group…they continue to be up and play with energy. They compete, they fight…we have to just keep plugging away. That's all we can do.”
Key Stat
- Guard Geno Thorpe recorded nine of the Bulls' 16 assists. His nine assists established a new career high.
Notables
- Holston's 15 points helped him attain his 20th career double figure game. It was just the fourth time this season he led the Bulls in scoring.
- Bibby finished with 14 points, one shy of matching his career best (Elon, 11/17). His four made three-pointers doubled his previous career high.
- Da Silva's 12 points notched his 10th game in double figures this season.
- Sophomore forward Luis Santos tied his career high with nine rebounds.
- The Bulls shot 44 percent in the game, the highest total in the team's last four games.
- USF's 16 assists were just two shy of matching a season high.
- The Bulls have posted double digit assists in all six games under Coach Bartow.
Up Next
The Bulls' next game is on the road at Cincinnati on Sunday at 4 p.m. USF returns home to host Memphis on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.
About USF Men's Basketball
The USF men's basketball team is led by interim head coach Murry Bartow. Coach Bartow has served as a collegiate basketball coach for 30 seasons and boasts eight postseason tournaments, including four NCAA Tournaments.
The Bulls feature freshman Tulio Da Silva, junior Ruben Guerrero, sophomore Troy Holston and junior 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.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
– #GoBulls –
