TAMPA, FLA., FEB. 26, 2020 – Justin Brown scored 18 points with nine rebounds to lead USF to a 73-68 overtime victory over East Carolina on Wednesday at the Yuengling Center.
Brown (Atlanta) connected on four of his three-point attempts and used his final trey to put USF ahead for good with 2:33 remaining in overtime.
Michael Durr (Atlanta) tied his career high with 15 points to go along with eight rebounds and one steal, while Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) finished with 14 points and five assists.
David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) added 11 points, six rebounds and three assists after he was honored pregame for becoming the 20th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.
Jayden Gardner led East Carolina with 19 points before fouling out late in the second half. Brandon Suggs finished with 13 points and four rebounds off the bench and Tristen Newton chipped in with 10.
Gardner put East Carolina ahead by seven with a free throw with just under six minutes remaining. USF responded with an 11-2 run to take a 59-57 lead after two free throws from Brown. Tremont Robinson-White scored on the ensuing possession for the Pirates to send the game into overtime.
With USF clinging to a 66-65 lead with 1:15 left in overtime, Brown drew a flagrant foul on Miles James and made both free throws to push the lead back to three. The Bulls were awarded possession after the free throws and Rideau nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key to seal the win.
Quotable
Head coach Brian Gregory on the Bulls finishing a busy stretch in strong fashion with Wednesday’s overtime triumph:
“Give our guys a lot of credit. That was a tough seven-day stretch – no days off, three games, three physical, hard-fought games. We figured out a way at the end there in the last eight minutes, in winning time, to dig down and get the stops, and make some key baskets, some key extra passes, some key free throws. A lot of the credit goes to the toughness and the character of our guys. We didn’t play great in stretches, and in other stretches we played really, really well. You take that win and you move on. You’ve got three left before the tournament.”
Justin Brown on what led to USF’s success against ECU and the team’s overall mindset:
“I felt like we played a really complete game. We played hard, we had 17 offensive rebounds. We were playing with intensity, playing with energy. Everybody is pushing each other to go harder.”
Notable
• Justin Brown is averaging 20.0 points per game over the last two games.
• David Collins turned in his 66th career game in double figures and ranks ninth all-time at USF.
• USF made seven three-pointers and has made the seventh-most in single season in school history.
• Michael Durr scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
• USF limited East Carolina to 68 points and held its 25th opponent of the season under its scoring average.
Key Stats
17 – USF finished with 17 offensive rebounds and received a game-high five from Michael Durr.
3 – USF limited East Carolina leading rebounder Jayden Gardner to three rebounds and no offensive rebounds.
3 – USF made three 3-pointers in overtime after just connecting for four treys during regulation.
Up Next
USF takes its final road trip of the regular season when the Bulls travel to Philadelphia, Pa., for a matchup at Temple on Sunday at noon. The game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
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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.
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