MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (November 24, 2024) – The University of South Florida men's basketball team closed out the Myrtle Beach Invitational in the third-place game against Wright State on Sunday.
Jayden Reid hit the game-winning shot with 0.4 seconds left on the clock to give the Bulls a 73-72 victory.
Wright State hit a go-ahead jumper with 5.0 seconds left on the clock, which gave WSU a 72-71 lead. Reid took the inbound pass and started to bring the ball up the court with pace. He tried to go baseline, but the defender cut him off. Reid stepped back and came up clutch as he drained the game-winning shot for the Bulls.
With the victory, South Florida improved to 4-3 on the season, while Wright State fell to 4-4 on the year. Reid finished with a game-high 14 points.
Jamille Reynolds picked up his second double-double with a career-high 14 rebounds and 13 points.
Kobe Knox rounded out the double-digit scores with 10 points. USF is 12-1 when
Kobe Knox scores in double digits.
The Bulls opened the game with intensity and jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. South Florida held Wright State scoreless for the first three minutes. At the first media timeout, USF had a 4-3 lead.
The Raiders answered with a 17-3 run and took a.20-7 lead with 10:51 left in the half.
CJ Brown scored four of the next six points for USF as the Bulls cut the deficit to 24-13 with just under eight minutes left until the break.
South Florida utilized a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to 26-24 with 4:12 left until half. During the run,
Jamille Reynolds,
De'Ante Green, and
Kasen Jennings all had three points. The Bulls outscored the Raiders 10-9 to end the half and cut the deficit to 34-32. Reid hit a key 3-pointer in transition.
USF opened the second half with a 13-4 run and took a 45-38 lead. During the run, Reynolds accounted for four points. Reynolds brought down a defensive rebound and threw the outlet pass ahead to Reid for the layup, which forced the Raiders to call a timeout.
The two squads were in a back-and-forth battle for the next 5:30 minutes. The Bulls held a 58-52 lead with 11:10 left in regulation.
For the next 3:30 minutes, the game was a defensive battle, as USF led 62-58. Reynolds scored a huge dunk.
Wright State outscored South Florida 7-5, but the Bulls held a 67-65 lead with just under four minutes left to play in regulation. The two sides continued to battle back and forth, which set up a fantastic finish to the game.
Reynolds blocked a game-high three shots.
Brandon Stroud dished out a game-high four assists and recorded a game-high three steals. South Florida outscored Wright State 44-30 inside the paint and 17-11 in fastbreak points. The Bulls held the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, Brandon Noel, to just five points. He came into the game averaging 23.0 points per game.
Jack Doumbia tallied a game-high 18 points and brought down ten rebounds to lead the Raiders. Solomon Callaghan finished with 15 points. Alex Huibregtse added 12 points, while Keaton Norris chipped in with 10.
Notables
·
Jayden Reid led USF in scoring for the second-straight game, with 14 points, his third game in double figures this season.
·
Jamille Reynolds collected his second double-double with 14 rebounds and 13 points. It was his fifth game scoring in double figures and his second game with double-digit rebounds.
·
Kobe Knox recorded his fourth game in double figures.
· USF is 12-1 when
Kobe Knox scores in double digits.
· South Florida finished the Myrtle Beach Invitational in third place.
Up Next
The Bulls return to the friendly confines of the Yuengling Center on December 3. South Florida welcomes Stetson for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN+.
About USF Men's Basketball
The University of South Florida men's basketball, led by interim head coach Ben Fletcher, is a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls enter their 2024-25 campaign, presented by Tampa General Hospital, on the heels of their best season in program history, in which they claimed their first-ever regular season conference title, won a record 25 games, and earned a Top 25 ranking for the first time in program history. A presence on the college basketball scene for more than five decades, South Florida has earned two conference titles and three NCAA tournament bids (1990, 1992, and 2012), appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
South Florida is wearing patches with the initials AAR this season in memory of their head coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, who passed away in October 2024.
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center, located on South Florida's Tampa campus.
Men's basketball single-game and season tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls or by visiting USFBullsTix.com.
Follow South Florida men's basketball on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
– #GoBulls –
