GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN, NOV. 25, 2019 – USF held Loyola of Chicago without a basket for the last 10 minutes 27 seconds en route to a 66-56 come-from-behind victory in the quarterfinal round of the third annual Cayman Islands Classic tournament Monday at the John Gray Gymnasium.
USF (3-2) will face New Mexico State in a semifinal round game at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, while Loyola (3-3) will meet Colorado State in the consolation bracket at 11 a.m.
Guards David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) and Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) scored 21 and 17 points, respectively, for USF while igniting the second-half rally.
Clinging to a 48-45 lead following a three-point basket from Tate Hall, Loyola closed out the game missing its final eight shots, while committing five turnovers.
The Bulls took advantage by going on a 16-2 run with Collins scoring six points and Rideau four during the surge.
Center Cameron Krutwig led Loyola of Chicago with 16 points, while Hall added 10 points.
Making eight of its first nine shots from the floor, Loyola raced to an 18-6 lead with Krutwig fueling the surge with eight points.
Relying on 61.9 percent shooting, the Ramblers enjoyed a 33-27 halftime lead. But Loyola only shot 35.7 percent in the second half, finishing the game hitting 51.4 percent.
The Bulls shot 50 percent for the game, making 22-of-44 shots. USF also outrebounded Loyola of Chicago, 24-21.
Quotable
Head coach Brian Gregory on the win:
“Our defense was tremendous, and it was just so active. We started pressuring the ball more, but we didn’t get stretched and give up the back cuts and the back-door plays. The guys on the ball made all the difference in the world. Now the guys off the ball, just by being active and being in the proper help position — not gambling — we were able to force the turnovers. And then the second thing that was clearly evident, as good as they are and as physical as they are, we wore them down. Shots that were going in the first half for Krutwig inside didn’t go in. Threes that were not as contested as I would like, they were speeded up a little bit and they didn’t go in, and the rotations defensively were a little slower as well.”
Notable
• David Collins scored 21 points and needs 65 more for 1,000.
• USF has at least nine steals in all five games this year and ranks sixth in the NCAA in steals per game.
• USF connected on 10 3-pointers and has made at least one trey in 134 consecutive games.
• David Collins made seven free throws and now ranks sixth all-time at USF with 313 in his career.
Key Stats
20 – Loyola Chicago committed 20 turnovers, allowing USF to force 20 or more turnovers in four of five games this season.
2 – Loyola Chicago made just two 3-pointers and shot 22.2 percent from beyond the arc.
55 – USF limited Loyola Chicago to a season-low 55 points and has held three opponents to fewer than 60 points this season.
Up Next
USF continues its quest for a tournament championship Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. when the Bulls face New Mexico State in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic from George Town, Grand Cayman.
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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 250 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 CBI championship.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
