TAMPA, Fla., DEC. 8, 2020 – David Collins had 18 points and nine rebounds to lead four players in double figures as South Florida defeated Stetson 73-62 Tuesday afternoon at the Yuengling Center.
Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) added four assists and shot 80.0 percent (8-for-10) from the field to help the Bulls finish with a .473 field goal percentage.
Justin Brown (Atlanta) had 14 points, four rebounds and moved into seventh place on USF’s all-time three-pointers made list with 163 career treys after hitting three from long range. Alexis Yetna (Paris) registered 13 points and eight rebounds and Caleb Murphy (Youngstown, Ohio) finished with 12 points, four rebounds and six assists.
Rob Perry paced the Stetson offense with 15 points and three assists, but the USF defense held the Hatters’ leading scorer to just 4-for-12 from the field.
Chase Johnston added 13 points and seven rebounds and Mahamadou Diawara chipped in with 10 points for a Hatters team that has lost all four of its games this season.
Johnston his a three-pointer midway through the first half to give Stetson its largest lead of the game at 16-9.
Brown answered with a triple on the other end to spark a 19-3 run that put the Bulls ahead 28-19 with just over three minutes before halftime. USF scored the final seven points of the half, which included a three-pointer from Jamir Chaplin (Norcross, Ga.) just before the horn to give USF a 40-26 lead.
USF led by as many as 21 points in the second half on its way to winning its 15th straight match-up against Stetson.
Quotable
“I liked some of the stuff we did tonight, especially in the first half, but Stetson has been in a tough spot because they were shut down for a little bit. I think they are a good, young team that is going to have a good year. They fought us from the tip to the finish. I thought our defensive intensity was really good in the first half, which was a point of emphasis. I was pleased and praised the guys at halftime for the 14 assists on 17 made baskets. Unfortunately, we just kind of played in the second half. It was disappointing because it was a 20 minute opportunity for us to get better and for us to continue to build our identity.” — USF head coach Brian Gregory.
Notable
• USF has won 17 consecutive games against the Atlantic Sun Conference and is 2-0 against the league this season.
• USF improved to 24-6 at home against non-conference competition under head coach Brian Gregory.
• Head coach Brian Gregory is one win shy of 300 for his career.
• Justin Brown moved into seventh-place on USF’s all-time three-pointers made list with 163 career treys.
Key Stats
15 – USF had 15 more rebounds than Stetson and held a 42-27 edge on the glass.
17 – USF had 17 assists on 26 made field goals.
80 – David Collins shot 80.0 percent from the field (8-for-10) and was one rebound shy of a double-double.
Up Next
USF takes part in its final non-conference game of the season Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when the Bulls travel to Atlanta to face SEC foe LSU at State Farm Arena.
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About USF Men’s Basketball
The USF men’s basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory. On March 22, 2017, Gregory was introduced as the 10th head coach in program history. He previously led programs at Georgia Tech (2011-16) and Dayton (2003-11). Gregory spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach under Michigan State’s Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo and helped the Spartans win the 2000 NCAA National Championship. Gregory owns nearly 300 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship. In his second season at the helm of the Bulls, Gregory led the team to the best win turnaround in the NCAA, the most single-season wins in school history and the 2019 College Basketball Invitational championship.
USF has retired three numbers in its 47-year 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.
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