Bulls Drop Conference Opener at SMU

DALLAS, TEXAS, JAN. 1, 2020 (AP) – Isiaha Mike had 24 points as SMU beat South Florida 82-64 on Wednesday in their first American Athletic Conference game of the season.

Tyson Jolly had 14 points and six rebounds for SMU (10-2). Kendric Davis added 12 points and 10 assists, and Emmanuel Bandoumel had 12 points. SMU posted a season-high 24 assists.

The Mustangs opened the second half on a 12-3 run to extend their lead to 25 points.

Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) had 14 points and six rebounds for the Bulls (7-7). Xavier Castaneda (Chicago) added 10 points, and Michael Durr (Atlanta) had eight rebounds.

Notable
• USF finished with at least 10 steals for the fourth time this season.  
• Michael Durr grabbed at least seven rebounds for the third straight game.   
• USF has totaled more or equal the amount offensive rebounds than all but one of its opponents this season.     
• Madut Akec scored a career-high six points and made two 3-pointers.  

Key Stats
57.9 – SMU shot 57.9 percent from the field and 63.0 percent in the first half.          
40 – SMU scored 40 points in the paint.        
14 – USF converted 12 offensive rebounds into 14 second chance points.  

Up Next 
USF continues conference play Saturday at 2 p.m. when the Bulls host UConn on ESPNU at the Yuengling Center. 

To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men’s’ basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).

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.

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