USF Athletics

Bulls and Gators square off for first time in nearly two decades

December 17, 2021

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

University of South Florida (4-4) vs. University of Florida (7-3)

Saturday, Dec. 18 | 1 p.m.

VENUE: FLA Live Arena | Sunrise, Fla.

SERIES: Florida leads, 18-5

TV: Bally Sports

RADIO: iHeart Radio Bulls Unlimited

TWITTER UPDATES: @USFMBB

GAME NOTES: View

TICKETS: Purchase

 

By Joey Johnston

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the USF Bulls will face the Florida Gators in men's basketball when the two programs collide in Saturday afternoon's Orange Bowl Classic at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise.

For the Bulls (4-4) and Gators (7-3) — along with USF coach Brian Gregory and UF coach Mike White — it probably can't be considered a rivalry (yet). It's a new matchup.

But the Bulls-Gators men's basketball series, back to life after two decades of dormancy, has lots of history.

Here are 10 Bulls-Gators games to remember:

Florida 116, USF 87 (Dec. 4, 1971) — In USF's second varsity game ever, the Bulls were soundly defeated at the old Alligator Alley. The Gators set a program record for most points scored and Tony Miller had 38 of them. USF was paced by 34 points from John Kiser.

USF 58, Florida 56 (Dec. 4, 1981) — It was the semifinals of the inaugural Florida Four Tournament, bringing together USF, Florida, Florida State and Jacksonville for a showcase event to highlight men's basketball in the state of Florida. The first Florida Four was held at the USF Sun Dome. The Bulls earned their first victory against the Gators with a thriller. Tony Grier, who had 26 points, iced it on two free throws with 20 seconds remaining.

USF 77, Florida 73 (Dec. 11, 1982) — The Bulls can always say they have the only two championships in the Florida Four (unless the event returns). This one was a pulsating back-and-forth championship-game victory at UF's O'Connell Center. Sophomore Charlie Bradley (30 points) iced it by hitting both ends of a one-and-one opportunity with 13 seconds remaining. Bulls center Jim Grandholm contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Florida 92, USF 79 (Jan. 11, 1983) — In one of the most memorable games ever played at the Sun Dome, the Gators pulled away in overtime by outscoring USF 15-2 in the extra session before a sellout crowd of 10,259. Bradley, who was the nation's leading scorer for 11 weeks of the 1982-83 season, had a game-high 38 points, including a miraculous 25-footer with one second remaining in regulation. The 3-pointer was an experimental rule that season. Bradley's shot counted for just two because Gators coach Norm Sloan had asked for the 3-point lie not to be used.

Florida 87, USF 82 (Jan. 9, 1988) — This was another overtime thriller at the Sun Dome (before 9,921 fans). USF's Radenko Dobras had 30 points, including a Sun Belt Conference record eight 3-pointers. USF's Gary Alexander (16 points, 10 rebounds) hit two free throws with eight seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. But the Gators overcame USF's superior effort by converting 23 of their 24 free-throw attempts. UF's front line of 7-foot-1 Dwayne Schintzius, 6-7 Livingston Chatman and 6-7 Dwayne Davis combined for 58 points.

Florida 91, USF 54 (Dec. 23, 1989) — With a 9-degree wind-chill outside the O'Connell Center — and snow flurries hitting Gainesville — the Bulls were ice-cold. Schintzius flirted with a triple-double (26 points, 12 rebounds, seven blocked shots). But the weather was the biggest story. Icy road conditions forced the Bulls to spend the night before in Ocala. Their journey to Gainesville — normally 30 minutes — became a painful three-hour march because of the holiday traffic and poor weather. USF's delay caused the game to be moved back by 90 minutes. Bulls coach Bobby Paschal refused to make excuses, but clearly the game was an anomaly because the 1989-90 Bulls won 20 games, captured the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and earned the first NCAA Tournament bid in program history.

USF 73, Florida 71 (Dec. 15, 1991) — Dobras couldn't be stopped. He had 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting — including 5-for-5 from 3-point range. The Gators, playing before a rabid O'Connell Center crowd, took a 69-68 lead on Craig Brown's jumper with 2:16 remaining. USF regained the advantage when Dobras rolled one in after driving to the basket, then converted a pair of free throws. USF would earned the second NCAA Tournament bid in program history. The Gators made the NIT Final Four.

Florida 80, USF 78 (Dec. 4, 1992) — Brown broke a tie on a 3-pointer with 8.9 seconds remaining. Gators coach Lon Kruger was calling for a timeout on the bench, but he couldn't be heard over a roaring Sun Dome crowd of 8,428. UF's Stacey Poole had a career-high 29 points on 13 of 19 shooting.

Florida 69, USF 64 (Jan. 11, 1994) — Before 11,657 fans at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field, the Gators nearly blew a 13-point second half lead. USF surged ahead 61-60 on Jerome Robinson's three-point play with 4:18 remaining. But UF, which shot 65 percent in the second half, maintained its composure and took command. The Gators would earn the program's first trip to the Final Four.

USF 73, Florida 58 (Nov. 28, 1995) — USF senior guard Chucky Atkins said he was "so hyped up in the pregame warmups, I was nearly in tears.'' Before a Sun Dome crowd of 8,197, Atkins used that emotion in the right away. He had 24 points and fueled a decisive 18-1 USF run.

 

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About USF Men's Basketball

The USF men's basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory, who enters his fifth season in 2021-22. Gregory was introduced as the 10th head coach in program history in March of 2017 after previously leading 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 owns over 300 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship with Dayton. In his second season at the helm of the Bulls, Gregory led the team to the best win turnaround in the NCAA, the most single-season wins in school history and the 2019 College Basketball Invitational championship. 
 
USF has retired three numbers in its 48-year history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30) and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
 
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.

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