TAMPA, Fla. (December 31, 2024) – The University of South Florida men's basketball team closed out 2024 with the American Athletic Conference opener against East Carolina on Tuesday.
Kobe Knox recorded his third-straight game in double figures as the Bulls earned their first conference win of the season, 75-69.
With the victory, the Bulls improved to 8-6 overall and 1-0 in AAC play, while ECU fell to 8-6 overall and 0-1 in conference action. Interim Head Coach
Ben Fletcher became the third USF coach to win a conference opener in their first season.
Knox recorded his third-straight game in double digits with an 18-point performance. South Florida is now 13-0 at home when Knox scores in double digits. He joined
Kasean Pryor and B.B. Waldon as the only USF players to average 15 points per game and shoot at least 70.0 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from 3-point range for a three-game span. He is one of 10 players, the only AAC player, to average 15 points per game and shoot at least 70.0 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from 3-point range for a three-game span this season in the NCAA.
Jayden Reid produced his eighth game in double figures with 11 points.
Quincy Ademokoya posted his fifth game in double figures with 11 points.
De'Ante Green finished in double digits for back-to-back games with 13 points. It was his fourth game in double figures.
After ECU scored the game's first points, USF utilized a jumper from Ademokoya and a 3-pointer from
Kasen Jennings to take a 5-2 lead. The two sides continued to battle as the game remained tied, 8-8, at the first media timeout.
The Bulls picked up the pressure and forced two shot-clock violations over the next seven minutes of play. South Florida outscored East Carolina 12-6 and took a 20-14 lead with 6:47 left in the first half.
Kobe Knox got the run started with a 3-pointer. During the run,
De'Ante Green scored six unanswered points for the Bulls.
Ademokoya knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give USF a 26-14 lead.
ECU scored six consecutive points to narrow the USF lead to 26-20 with less than four minutes remaining in the first half. The Bulls outscored the Pirates 8-5 to conclude the half, leading 34-25 at the break. South Florida forced eight East Carolina turnovers in the opening stanza.
The Bulls came out strong in the second half, outscored the Pirates 16-7, and extended its lead to 50-32.
CJ Brown produced a two-handed slam, while Knox accounted for 10 of the 16 USF points.
East Carolina outscored South Florida 10-8 over the next three minutes, but the Bulls held a 16-point lead, 58-42. The Pirates went on a 7-0 run and cut the Bulls' lead to 58-49 with 7:52 left in regulation.
Jamille Reynolds started to get things going down low for the Bulls as he came up with a big dunk, followed by a huge and-1 opportunity. Knox knocked down a 3-pointer that extended the USF lead to 66-55 with four minutes left on the clock.
The Bulls capitalized on nine made free throws to close out the game 75-69.
Reynolds brought down a game-high 11 rebounds, his fourth game with double-digit rebounds. He posted a game-high three blocks. Reid and
Jimmie Williams collected five rebounds apiece. Reid finished with a game-high four steals, while Williams added three. Williams finished the game with a team-high three assists.
Once again, the South Florida bench was outstanding and outscored the East Carolina bench 41-8. The Bulls forced 14 turnovers, which resulted in 25 points. USF held a 14-4 advantage in fastbreak points.
Jordan Riley led the Pirates with a game-high 20 points. C.J. Walker added 16 points, while RJ Felton had 13. Felton led ECU with eight rebounds.
Notables
· Interim Head Coach
Ben Fletcher becomes the third USF coach to win a conference opener in their first season.
·
Kobe Knox recorded his third-straight game in double digits with an 18-point performance. It was his eighth game in double figures. South Florida is now 13-0 at home when Knox scores in double digits.
·
Kobe Knox joined
Kasean Pryor and B.B. Waldon as the only USF players to average 15 points per game and shoot at least 70.0 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from 3-point range for a three-game span.
·
Kobe Knox is one of 10 players to average 15 points per game and shoot at least 70.0 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from 3-point range for a three-game span this season in the NCAA.
·
Jayden Reid produced his eighth game in double figures with 11 points.
·
Quincy Ademokoya posted his fifth game in double figures with 11 points.
·
De'Ante Green finished in double digits for back-to-back games with 13 points. It was his fourth game in double figures.
Up Next
The Bulls open 2025 with their first AAC road contest. South Florida will face Wichita State on Monday, January 6, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
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.
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