HOUSTON, Texas., Feb. 25, 2026 – The University of South Florida men's basketball team earned its 20th regular-season win with a 75–56 victory at Rice on Tuesday night, marking just the second time in program history the Bulls have reached the 20-win milestone before postseason play. South Florida controlled the game from start to finish to secure its sixth consecutive win and ninth victory in its last 10 games.
With the win, South Florida's magic number to clinch a share of the American Conference regular season title has shrunken to one. They'll have a chance to clinch their share of the Championship Sunday, March 1, at home vs. Tulane.
Izaiyah Nelson finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals without committing a foul. Nelson went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and consistently finished through contact around the rim. He scored 12 points in the first half as South Florida built early separation, continuing to show his versatility as a complete player with 46 steals and 42 blocks this season.
Joseph Pinion contributed 15 points with three made 3-pointers, and
Josh Omojafo added 12 points and six rebounds.
Isaiah Jones recorded 11 points, his second-most this season, scoring in double figures for the fourth time since coming to South Florida and for the first time in conference play. Jones knocked down three 3-pointers, one shy of his season-high.
South Florida set the tone immediately, with
Josh Omojafo scoring on a layup seven seconds in as the Bulls controlled the game from that point forward. USF opened on an 8–0 run and consistently dictated physicality, particularly on the glass, limiting Rice's second-chance opportunities and forcing the Owls to earn every possession.
At the 13:51 mark, Rice had yet to make a 3-pointer as South Florida disrupted offensive rhythm and contested shots throughout the half.
Daimion Collins went down with an injury at the 9:55 mark and did not return, but the Bulls maintained control and took a 39–31 lead into halftime behind 12 points from
Izaiyah Nelson, 10 from
Joseph Pinion and 11 from
Isaiah Jones.
South Florida paired efficient offense with even sharper defense in the second half. Although the Bulls lead the conference offensively, their defensive impact proved just as decisive, as USF consistently closed passing lanes, protected the paint and forced Rice into rushed decisions.
Offensively, South Florida remained disciplined, generating looks either at the rim or from beyond the arc while avoiding low-efficiency mid-range attempts. The Bulls extended the lead with an early second-half run and pushed the advantage to its largest margin of the night at the 7:46 mark.
Rice was held to just 14 points by the 5:45 mark of the second half, as South Florida strung together stops and converted turnovers into transition scoring to fully seize control.
South Florida closed out the night with a 75–56 victory, marking the largest margin of victory against Rice in program history and surpassing the previous high of eight points. The win tied the second-longest conference win streak in program history with the Bulls' sixth consecutive victory and made this team just the second in program history to record 12 or more conference wins in a season.
Note-a-Bulls:
- Defensive Dominance – USF recorded at least five steals for the 34th straight game, tied for the second-longest active streak in Division I and the program's longest run over the last 30 seasons.
- Double Digits – Four Bulls reached double digits: Izaiyah Nelson, Joseph Pinion, Isaiah Jones and Josh Omojafo.
- Program Milestone – This Bulls team became is the second in program history with 12 or more conference wins in a season.
- Perimeter Production – Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion are one of three Division I duos this season to each make at least 85 3-pointers (North Florida, Texas Tech), becoming the first USF duo to reach the mark in the same season in program history.
- Road Resilience - South Florida recorded their eighth road win of the season, tying the single-season program record.
Up Next:
South Florida returns to the Yuengling Center on Sunday, March, 1 to take on Tulane at Noon. The matchup will air on ESPN2, with radio coverage available on Bulls Unlimited. The Bulls will have a chance to clinch a share of the American Conference regular season title with a win.
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About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Bryan Hodgson, 37, as the program's 12th head coach on March 24, 2025. Hodgson came to Tampa from Arkansas State, where he led the program to back-to-back 20-win seasons and its first postseason appearance since 1999 in his two seasons at the helm.
The program, entering its 55th season in 2025-26, most recently won the American Athletic Conference regular season championship in 2023-24 and has made 13 postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournaments, nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame. The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
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