USF Athletics

Bulls Conclude Two-Game N.C. Trip Saturday

December 01, 2017

Matchup: USF (4-4) at Appalachian State (4-4)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 2
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Boone, N.C. | Holmes Convocation Center (8,325)
TV: None
Radio: AM 820 | USF Bulls Unlimited (Jim Lighthall, Joey Johnston)
Follow: Listen | Stats | Twitter

BOONE, N.C., Dec. 1, 2017 – The University of South Florida men's basketball team concludes its two-game trip through North Carolina on Saturday night against Appalachian State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The game will mark the second in 48 hours for the Bulls after the team lost an overtime heartbreaker at Elon on Thursday night, 79-78.

The Bulls (4-4) got 58 of its 78 points in the game from its trio of graduate transfers. Payton Banks (Orange, Calif.) and Stephan Jiggetts (Forestville, Md.) each set season highs in points with 23 and 21, respectively.

The loss marked the first time since Dec. 12, 2016 that two USF players scored 20 or more points in a single game. Jahmal McMurray and Bo Zeigler each scored 20 against Bethune-Cookman on that date. That game was also the last time the Bulls played in overtime, with USF getting a 79-73 win.
  
THE OPPONENT 
Appalachian State (4-4) plays its first game since Tuesday, Nov. 28, when it lost, 85-72, at VCU. Mountaineers leading scorer Ronshad Shabazz led the way in that game, scoring 19 points. Shabazz is averaging 22.1 points per game this season, second-most in the Sun Belt.

The Mountaineers also have the conference's fifth-leading rebounder in Isaac Johnson, who is averaging 8.3 boards per contest.

Appalachian State returned 12 players, including three starters, from a team that won nine games last season. The Mountaineers won four Sun Belt games and finished 11^th of 12 teams in the conference.

This is only the second time that USF and Appalachian State will meet and the first time in 23 years. The Bulls took the only previous meeting, 86-71, on Nov. 25, 1994 at the Sun Dome.

NOTABLES

• With a win, USF would take its second road game of the season, surpassing the total for the 2016-17 season. It would also be the first time the Bulls won a game outside of the state of Florida in a calendar year, with its last win outside of the state coming against Troy on Dec. 1, 2016.
• Freshman guard David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) is sidelined with a knee injury. He is undergoing further evaluation.
• Malik Martin (Miami, Fla.) hit 3-of-4 shots from the field against Elon, improving his season percentage to 60.4 (29-for-48). He is currently fifth in the conference in field goal percentage.
• Terrence Samuel (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line against Elon, making him 32-for-34 (94.1 percent) on the season, which is fourth in The American.
• Stephan Jiggetts is tied for second in the AAC in free throw percentage at 94.4 (17-for-18).

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.