TAMPA, Fla. (January 15, 2025) – On Wednesday, the University of South Florida men's basketball team cut a 20-point deficit at the half to six points in the second half against UAB. The comeback effort could not erase the first-half lead by UAB as USF fell 92-83.
 
The Bulls are now 9-8 overall and 2-2 in American Athletic Conference play. The Blazers improved to 11-7 overall and 4-1 in AAC games.
 
For the Bulls, it was a tale of two halves. In the first half, USF committed six turnovers and scored 27 points, the fewest points in a half this season. In the second half, there were zero turnovers, and the Bulls scored the most points in a single half, 56.
 
Jayden Reid finished with a career-high 26 points. It was his third game with at least 20 points this season. He tied for a team-high four assists with one steal and one rebound. He shot 50.0 percent from 3-point range and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Jamille Reynolds and Jimmie Williams each finished with 13 points. Kobe Knox and Reynolds tied for a team-high five rebounds. CJ Brown finished the game tied for a team-high four assists and tied for a game-high with three steals. De'Ante Green posted a game-high two blocks.
 
The game started as a back-and-forth battle, with the Bulls outscoring the Blazers 10-4 in the paint in the first nine minutes. UAB held a 14-12 advantage as both squads were shooting at least 50.0 percent from the field. The Blazers scored eight unanswered points before Williams ended it with a 3-pointer. With 7:16 left in the first stanza, UAB held a 25-17 lead.
 
At the break, the Blazers extended their lead to 20 points, 47-27. It was UAB's largest lead of the game. The Blazers shot 60.0 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from 3-point range. The Bulls shot 46.4 percent from the field but only 9.1 percent from 3-point range in the opening stanza.
 
The Bulls started the second half strong with a 13-7 run that cut the deficit to 14, 54-40, at the first media timeout. Reid knocked down two 3-pointers, while Brown added four points. After UAB extended its lead to 65-49, USF went on a 12-6 run. Reid and Williams both knocked down a 3-pointer as South Florida cut the deficit to 10, 71-61.
 
The Blazers extended the lead back to 14 points, 80-66, with just under four minutes left in regulation. The Bulls were resilient and continued to fight. After a huge and-one play by Brown, South Florida cut the deficit to six, 84-78. UAB closed the game by making all eight free-throw attempts on the way to a 92-83 win.
 
Christian Coleman led all scorers with 21 points. He brought down a game-high nine rebounds. Tony Toney finished with 18 points, while Efrem Johnson went for 14. Yaxel Lendenborg, Alejandro Vasquez, and Tyren Moore all tallied 11 points each. Lendenborg dished out a game-high six assists and tied for a game-high with three steals.
 
The Bulls had the advantage in points off turnovers (10-8), points in the paint (40-32), second-chance points (10-9), and bench points (28-24). UAB entered the game leading the country, averaging 19.12 fastbreak points, and USF held them to just 13 fastbreak points.  
 
Notables
· South Florida scored 56 points in the second half, the most in a half this season.
· Jayden Reid recorded a career-high 26 points. It was his third game with at least 20 points this season.
· Jamille Reynolds finished with 13 points. It was his 11th game in double figures.
· Jimmie Williams tallied his fifth game in double digits with 13 points.
 
Up Next
The Bulls remain home on Saturday, January 18, as the Golden Hurricane makes the trip to Tampa. South Florida and Tulsa are scheduled for a 3 p.m. tip on ESPN+. The USF women play at 6 p.m., and fans who attend the men's game can redeem a free ticket to the women's game.
 
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.
 

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