MEMPHIS, TENN., DEC. 29, 2020 (AP) – Lester Quinones made a 3-pointer with 1:07 left to give Memphis the lead en route to a 58-57 win over South Florida on Tuesday night.
Xavier Castaneda (Chicago) put USF ahead 46-34 midway through the second half with a jumper just outside the lane to cap a 21-4 run by the Bulls. On its next possession, USF turned the ball over and gave up a layup to Alex Lomax that ignited a 17-2 run that put Memphis on top 51-48 after a three-pointer from Quinones.
The Bulls cut the lead to one point four different times over the last 4:34 and attempted the final shot, but a block by D.J. Jefferies in the final seconds preserved the win for Memphis.
Quinones had 13 points to lead the Tigers. DeAndre Williams added 12 points and five steals, and Landers Nolley II chipped in 10 points.
Memphis (6-4, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) totaled 25 first-half points, a season low for the team.
Caleb Murphy (Youngstown, Ohio) had a career-high 20 points to go along with three assists for the Bulls (5-4, 1-2). Justin Brown (Atlanta) added 11 points and Michael Durr (Atlanta) had 10 rebounds.
USF trailed by as many as nine points in the first half before using a 9-0 run to tie the game with just over four minutes before halftime.
Notable
• Michael Durr grabbed 10 rebounds and has double digit boards in three straight games.
• Justin Brown made all three of his 3-point attempts and is shooting 59.1 percent from down town over the last six games.
• USF’s three conference games have been decided by an average of 3.0 points per game.
Key Stats
25 – Memphis scored 25 points off 17 USF turnovers.
25 – Memphis scored 25 fast break points and limited USF to just six.
8 – USF attempted only eight free throws.
Up Next
USF continues American Athletic Conference play Saturday at 7 p.m. when the Bulls welcome UCF to the Yuengling Center for the first round of the War on I-4.
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 over 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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