TAMPA, Fla. (November 22, 2023) – The University of South Florida men's basketball team returned to action on Wednesday for a contest against Maine inside the Yuengling Center.
Chris Youngblood led the Bulls with 17 points, but the Bulls (2-2) fell to the Black Bears (4-3) 70-59.
Maine opened the game on a 6-0 run. The Bulls responded with four unanswered, but the Black Bears went on another 6-0 and took a 12-4 lead with 15:07 left on the clock. The Bulls were unfazed and responded with an 8-0 and tied the game at 12-12, with 13:12 left in the opening half.
With 3:22 left in the opening half, South Florida trailed 29-23. The Bulls rattled off six unanswered points to tie it at 29-29, with 1:15 on the clock. Maine took a two-point lead into the half, 31-29.
Maine started the second half on a 7-0 run and extended its lead to 38-29 with 18:11 left in regulation. South Florida outscored Maine 7-4 over the next 2:30 of play and cut the deficit to 42-36 with just over 15 minutes left in regulation. The Black Bears were able to extend their lead to 13, 57-44 with 8:57 left in regulation.
USF went on a 13-6 run and pulled with six, 63-57, with just over a minute left to play. The Bulls never gave up and held the Black Bears without a field goal for the final 4:05 of the game. Maine made seven free throws down the stretch to stop USF's comeback effort. The Black Bears claimed a 70-59 victory.
The South Florida bench scored 30 points, just five shy of the season average of 35. The USF defense held Maine to six made 3-pointers and has held opponents to just 4.8 made 3-pointers per contest. The Bulls were strong on the glass and outrebounded the Black Bears, 40-35. USF also held the advantage in fast-break points (17-8), points in the paint (38-32), and second-chance points (14-5).
Notables
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Chris Youngblood posted a team-high 17 points. He has led the team in scoring in three of the four contests this season.
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Kasean Pryor recorded the first double-double of his career with 12 points and 12 rebounds. He is the first USF player to record 10 or more rebounds in a game this season. He also tied for a game-high three steals.
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Jayden Reid posted a team-high five assists, and he moved his total to 19 on the season.
Next Up
South Florida takes to the road for the first time in the 2023-24 campaign for a trip to New York and a matchup with Hofstra. Tip between the Bulls and the Pride is slated for 7 p.m.
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About USF Men's Basketball
The South Florida men's basketball team is led by Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was named the 11th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023. Abdur-Rahim was named the 2023 Mid-Major Coach of the Year (Hugh Durham Award) after leading Kennesaw State to its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2022-23. Abdur-Rahim's Kennesaw State team set an NCAA record as the fastest team to ever reach the NCAA Tournament after a one-win campaign, accomplishing the feat in a span of just three seasons. He was also named the 2022-23 NABC District 3 and ASUN Coach of the Year after leading Kennesaw State to both the regular season and tournament titles, and a school-record 26 wins.
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. Season tickets for the 2023-24 USF men's basketball slate are on sale now. To purchase season tickets, click here.
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