TAMPA (December 19, 2022) – The University of South Florida Bulls (6-6) continued their winning ways on Monday night inside the Yuengling Center with a 77-70 victory over Hofstra (6-6). After an 0-5 start to the season, USF has now won four straight and six of its last seven games.
Tyler Harris led a quartet of Bulls in double digits with 19 points to go along with a team-best four assists. Jamir Chaplin posted 14 points, six rebounds and four steals. Russel Tchewa added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Selton Miguel chipped in 10 points.
"Hofstra is a really well-coached team and explosive on offense. They tested us every possession on our defensive principles," said head coach Brian Gregory. "Jamir (Chaplin), Selton (Miguel) and Serrel (Smith Jr.) each did a great job defensively on Aaron Estrada, one of the leading scorers in the NCAA, and forced him into five turnovers which doesn't happen for him. I thought our activity on the glass tonight was great after a disappointing effort of Friday, and we challenged the guys to correct that. Five weeks ago, this is maybe not a game that we win. But, you're seeing guys start to trust the system, believe in each other and really gel."
Estrada entered the game ranked ninth in the country in scoring (21.7 ppg).
It was a closely contested affair throughout the night and the teams went into the locker room at halftime tied, 39-39. Hofstra came out of the break red hot, after shooting 50 percent from the field (5-11 from downtown) in the opening half. The Pride went 7-for-8 to begin the second half and eventually built a 58-52 lead with 13:46 left in the game.
The sides continued to trade baskets before a six-point run gave USF a 62-61 edge at the 7:45 mark on a jumper by Chaplin. The Bulls and Pride traded the lead four times from there with Harris' slashing layup giving USF the lead for good, 69-67, with 2:18 remaining.
Chaplin scored eight of his 14 points in the second half, including a highlight reel putback dunk on an offensive rebound. The Bulls collectively pulled down 18 offensive boards and turned those into 19 second-chance points.
Notable
- USF is averaging nearly 16 assists per game over its four-game winning streak.
- The Bulls are averaging 71.75 points per game during the win streak.
- The Bulls will seek their first five-game winning streak since January 22-Febraury 10, 2019 (seven-game streak).
- Tchewa is shooting 73 percent from the field (30-41) over his last six games.
- The Bulls' 24 bench points on Monday are their second-highest this season.
- Corey Walker Jr. tallied a season-high six points and two steals.
Up Next
The Bulls wrap up their current homestand and non-conference play on Thursday, December 22 against NJIT at 7 p.m. 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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