DELAND, FLA., NOV. 15, 2017 – The Bulls came out running early, scoring 41 points in the first half before securing Brian Gregory's 250^th career head coaching victory with a 75-72 road win at Stetson.

USF (2-1) shot 56 percent (14-for-25) from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the first half that saw the Bulls take an 11-point lead.  Then the Bulls closed it out in thrilling fashion with some big defensive stops down the stretch.

Overall, USF shot 52 percent (25-for-48) from the field, including 45.5 percent (10-for-22) from three.

The Bulls had four players in double-figures, with Stephan Jiggetts and Payton Banks leading the way with 18 points each. Terrence Samuel chipped in 13 points to go along with career highs in rebounds (eight) and assists (seven).

The victory marked the first road win for the Bulls since Dec. 1, 2016 over Troy, snapping a skid of 10 games. It's also the first time since the 2014-15 season that the Bulls won their road opener, when USF defeated UAB, 73-71.

Quotable
Head coach Brian Gregory on the defense down the stretch:
"We executed well down the stretch, and more importantly they didn't get a second shot down the stretch. Tulio had a big rebound. Payton Banks had a big rebound. We went one possession in the zone, forced a quick shot, and got the rebound. We did a lot of good things."

Gregory on the overall performance:
"Any time you shoot 52 percent from the field, 45 percent from three, 70 percent from the free throw line and outrebound a team by 12, there's an effort level that was there. We started high, the guys responded well on a one-day turnaround after a disappointing performance on Monday. But you have to put that stuff in the rearview mirror."

Terrence Samuel on USF's defense down the stretch:
"That's our foundation. Coach gets on us every day in practice about playing defense, being in our gaps and finishing the play off the rebound. Those guys, they went on a run at the end, but I got the team together and said, 'Listen, our foundation is defense and that's going to win us this game.' So, they got some stops at the end."

Key Stats
14-for-25: USF shot 56.0 percent from the field in the first half.
8-for-8: Terrence Samuel was 8-for-8 from the free throw line, eclipsing his previous career high of seven made free throws.
13: The Bulls have won 13 straight meetings with the Hatters, dating back to 1989.

Notables

• USF has gone 47-for-58 (81 percent) from the free throw line in the first three games this season.
• Payton Banks set a new season high with 12 points in the first half, while Terrence Samuel tied his season high with 13 in the half.
• Nikola Scekic chipped in seven boards, a new career high.

Up Next
USF will travel to Bloomington, Ind. to take on Indiana on Sunday at 6 p.m. This will be the first meeting ever between the Bulls and the Hoosiers and is the first of four games as part of the Hoosier Tip-Off Classic. The game will be broadcast nationwide on the Big Ten Network.

About USF Men's Basketball
The USF men's basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory. On March 22, Gregory was introduced as the 10^th head coach in program history. He previously led programs at Georgia Tech (2011-16) and Dayton (2003-11). Gregory spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach under Michigan State's Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo and helped the Spartans win the 2000 NCAA National Championship. Gregory brings nearly 250 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship, to Tampa.

USF has retired three numbers in its 47-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.

For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.