Box Score TAMPA, Fla. – Feb. 4, 2026 – The University of South Florida men's basketball team defeated UTSA, 109–88, on Wednesday night at the Yuengling Center, reaching the 100-point mark for the sixth time this season - the most by any American Conference program in a single campaign.
Izaiyah Nelson matched his season high with 25 points with 11-of-14 shooting, added five rebounds, and knocked down his fifth three-pointer of the season.
Wes Enis finished with 16 points and five three-pointers, recording his seventh game this season with at least five made triples. Enis entered the night sixth nationally in 3-pointers made in conference play (43), and his five tonight pushed him to second in the nation.
Joseph Pinion recorded his first double-double of the season with 13 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and four steals. Pinion is the second Bull to record an assist-point double-double this season, (
CJ Brown at Oklahoma State).
Gavin Hightower delivered a breakout performance, scoring a career-high 21 points in the second half, after totaling just 35 collegiate points prior to the night. Hightower sparked South Florida's separation with timely shot-making, downhill attacks, and playmaking as the Bulls seized full control after halftime.
South Florida opened the game with Nelson scoring the Bulls' first four points, and Enis knocked down early three-pointers to establish spacing. The opening half featured seven ties as the Bulls leaned on interior production, generating offensive rebounds, 19 second-chance points, and 22 points in the paint. South Florida entered the break trailing 50–48.
South Florida opened the half with an 8–0 run to take control, forcing turnovers and converting them into efficient offensive possessions as the lead quickly stretched into double figures.
Gavin Hightower made his first career three-pointer at the 16:55 mark, then followed with a driving layup at 15:35 and an assist to
Daimion Collins at 14:47 to ignite separation straight off the bench.
Josh Omojafo added a breakaway dunk at the 15:18 mark as the Bulls continued to build separation.
The run pushed South Florida's lead to its largest margin of the night at 18 points. Nelson later punctuated the stretch with back-to-back dunks as the Bulls remained in control. The broadcast noted the Bulls "on cruise control" as South Florida's scoring continued to reflect its place atop the American Conference in scoring offense.
South Florida finished the night averaging 89.5 points per game this season, ranking 10th nationally, after finishing 153rd in the country last year at 74.4 points per game. The win placed the Bulls in a tie for second place in the American Conference.
Note-a-Bulls:
- Second-Half Spark – Gavin Hightower scored a career-high 21 points in the second half after totaling 35 collegiate points entering the night.
- Double Digits – Five Bulls reached double digits: Wes Enis, Joseph Pinion, Izaiyah Nelson, CJ Brown, and Gavin Hightower.
- First Double-Double - Joseph Pinion recorded his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 assists, adding five rebounds and four steals.
- Perimeter Production – Wes Enis knocked down five three-pointers for his seventh game this season with at least five made triples, pushing his conference-play total to 48 - second in the nation.
- Historic Offensive – South Florida scored 100 or more points for the sixth time this season, the most by any American Conference program in a single campaign.
- Balanced Scoring - South Florida improved to 9–0 this season when five or more players score in double figures.
Up Next:
South Florida hosts Tulsa on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 12:00 for Salute to Service at the Yuengling. The matchup will air on ESPNU, with radio coverage available
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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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