DAYTONA BEACH (November 22, 2022) – Despite missing three players, including a pair of starters, the University of South Florida Bulls (1-5) were able to break through for their first victory of the season on Tuesday night – a 75-62 win over Saint Joseph's (2-3) at the Sunshine Slam.

Selton Miguel scored a career-high 19 points for the triumphant Bulls.

South Florida was without Keyshawn Bryant (did not travel), Jamir Chaplin (concussion protocol) and DJ Patrick (ankle). Tyler Harris also walked away from Tuesday's battle with a new set of stiches above his eye after sustaining a blow in the first half of play.

USF had never started a season 0-6, and its last 0-5 start came in 1987, the same year of the Bulls' last and only other meeting with the Saint Joseph's Hawks.

"I'm really proud of these guys who have continue to work, and have not let our circumstances dictate their effort," said head coach Brian Gregory. "This group wants to play, win games and get better every day out. We're playing a more physical style of basketball than we have in the past few years, and that can wear on you, but we played with great energy and toughness tonight."

Miguel poured in 11 of his 19 points in the second half on 5-of-7 shooting over the final 20 minutes. The sophomore guard also led USF with a season-high six assists in the game. Harris added 13 of his 18 points in the second half of action as well.

For the second straight night, the Bulls began the game by knocking down four consecutive shot attempts, and a 7-0 run gave USF an early 9-5 lead on a three-pointer by freshman Ryan Conwell who garnered his first start of the season.

The Hawks pulled in front at the 10:32 mark on a pair of free throws, 15-14, as whistle stoppage was frequent all night and put Saint Joseph's in the bonus midway through each half.

Jake Boggs tied the game at 17-17 on a three-pointer, Miguel followed with a fastbreak layup and Harris punctuated another USF run with a triple to give the Bulls a 22-17 advantage with 7:14 left in the opening half. South Florida never relinquished that lead and went into the locker room ahead, 37-30.

USF led by as many as 13 early in the second half, but saw the Hawks close their deficit to 47-42 at the 12:17 mark. Russel Tchewa completed a three-point play at the charity stripe to pad the Bulls' lead back to double digits with 7:44 left to play, which USF maintained to the final whistle.

Notable

• Tuesday's point total (75) was a season high for the Bulls. USF was 3-0 when scoring 70 or more points last season.
• Miguel has scored in double-digits in three straight games, and four of his last five.
• Serrel Smith Jr. chipped in seven points and four rebounds while logging a season-high 22 minutes off the bench.
• USF's eight three-pointers were a season high on Tuesday.
• The Bulls also shot a season-best 77.3 percent from the free throw line.

Up Next

The Bulls return home to face St. Francis College on Friday, November 25 at 2 p.m. at the Yuengling Center in Tampa.    

Tickets are on sale now. Fans are encouraged to visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-Go-Bulls to purchase tickets.

To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men's basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).

About USF Men's Basketball

The USF men's basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory, who enters his sixth season in 2022-23. 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 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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