CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 2, 2024) – The No. 25 ranked University of South Florida men's basketball team is headed back to Tampa as the American Athletic Conference regular season champions. It is the first time in program history that the Bulls have won a conference regular season title.
Chris Youngblood led the Bulls with 17 points as South Florida defeated Charlotte 76-61 on Saturday.
With the win, USF moved to 22-5 overall and 15-1 in AAC play, while CLT moved to 17-11 overall and 11-5 in conference games. The 14-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the NCAA.
The Bulls extended their winning streak to 14 conference games, extending the longest streak in program history. The 15 wins in conference play are the most in program history. The 14-game winning streak is the longest winning streak in program history.
The 49ers opened the game on a 6-2 run, but the Bulls answered with a 10-5 run and tied it at 12-12 at the first media timeout. South Florida outscored Charlotte 4-2 over the next three minutes of play and extended its lead to 16-14.
It was a back-and-forth battle the next 8:42 of play as the Bulls held a 25-24 lead with 3:13 left in the half. Miguel got hot from the field and scored six of the team's eight points to close out the half. South Florida took a 33-28 lead into the break.
The Bulls started the second half strong and outscored the 49ers 13-7. The two sides traded points as USF held a 55-44 lead with 11:39 left in regulation. During that stretch,
Kobe Knox recorded a putback dunk.
South Florida continued to pressure Charlotte and extended its lead to 67-51 with 6:35 left on the clock. The Bulls held the 49ers without a field goal and took a 69-56 lead with 3:41 left to play, CLT made five free throws.
South Florida outscored Charlotte 7-5 to end the game and claimed a 76-61 victory.
Youngblood tied for a game-high 17 points, his 22nd game in double figures. He added three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Kasean Pryor produced his 10th double-double of the season behind 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. He added two assists and one steal.
Selton Miguel added a 13-point performance, his 23rd game in double digits, with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Knox closed out the double-digit scorers with 12 points. He added five rebounds, two steals, two assists, and one block.
Lu'Cye led CLT with 17 points, while Nik Graves added 12 and Dean Reiber added 11 points.
Notables
· South Florida won its first regular-season conference title in program history.
·The Bulls extended their winning streak to 14 conference games, extending the longest streak in program history.
· The 15 wins in conference play are the most in program history.
· The 14-game winning streak is the longest winning streak in program history.
· The 14-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the NCAA.
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Chris Youngblood tied for a game-high 17 points, his 22nd game in double figures. He added three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
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Kasean Pryor produced his 10th double-double of the season behind 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. He added two assists and one steal.
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Selton Miguel added a 13-point performance, his 23rd game in double digits, with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
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Kobe Knox closed out the double-digit scorers with 12 points. He added five rebounds, two steals, two assists, and one block.
Next Up
USF returns to the friendly confines of the Yuengling Center on Tuesday, March 5. South Florida and Tulane are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN+. The Bulls will honor its seniors before the game for Senior Day.
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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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