GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN, NOV. 26, 2019 – Shawn Williams had 13 points and made three of New Mexico State’s 11 three-pointers to lead the Aggies to a 65-45 win against USF Tuesday in the semifinals of the Caymans Island Classic.
USF (3-3) will face either George Mason or Nebraska Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the third-place game.
Johnny McCants and Trevelin Queen added 10 points apiece for New Mexico State (4-3). McCants scored all 10 of his points in the first half, making 4-of-5 from the field as the Aggies closed the half on a 10-0 run for a 32-20 lead.
Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) had 13 points for the Bulls and Michael Durr (Atlanta) added six rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
USF owned the early minutes of the game, climbing on top 14-9 behind a couple of 3-pointers and strong offensive play from David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio).
Down by a 42-20 count early in the second half, the Bulls put together a 12-0 run to trim the deficit to 10. Rideau had six in that stretch, including a three-pointer that brought the Bulls within 10 at 42-32.
Williams followed with eight straight points and New Mexico State went on a 20-4 run to build a 63-36 lead.
Notable
• David Collins scored six points and needs 59 more for 1,000.
• USF connected on five 3-pointers and has made at least one trey in 135 consecutive games.
• Michael Durr registered a career-high four blocks.
Key Stats
35 – New Mexico State received 35 points from its bench and limited the USF bench to 12.
8 – USF was held to eight field goals in the second half.
52.4 – New Mexico State made 11 three-pointers and shot 52.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Up Next
USF closes play in the Cayman Islands Classic Wednesday at 5 p.m. against either George Mason or Nebraska.
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.
