Bulls Fall in Tough One to Wildcats

TAMPA, Fla. (December 18, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team returned to the Yuengling Center on Wednesday for a non-conference matchup with Bethune-Cookman. The Bulls finished with three players in double figures but fell to the Wildcats 77-69.
 
With the loss, South Florida’s record fell to 5-6, while Bethune-Cookman’s improved to 3-8. Jamille Reynolds posted a team-high 15 points, his seventh game in double figures. Jayden Reid finished with 12 points for his sixth game in double digits. Kasen Jennings recorded his third-straight game in double figures with 12 points.
 
The Wildcats opened the game on a 5-0 run and held the Bulls scoreless until the first media timeout. After a jumper by Reggie Ward Jr., Brandon Stroud got the Bulls on the board to stop the 7-0 run. CJ Brown added back-to-back jump shots as South Florida trailed Bethune-Cookman 12-7 with 11:39 left in the half.
 
The Wildcats outscored the Bulls 7-5, as Daniel Rouzan scored six of those points, to extend their lead to 19-12 with just under eight minutes left in the opening stanza. Bethune-Cookman held a 27-18 lead at the final media timeout of the first half.
 
The Bulls ended the half on an 11-5 run and cut the deficit to 32-29 at the half. South Florida held Bethune-Cookman to no field goals over the final 2:41. Brown had a team-high eight points at the break.
 
The Bulls picked up the intensity in the second half. After a 3-pointer by Reid, Reid found Reynolds in transition for the slam dunk. South Florida cut the deficit to one, 35-34.  
 
After the Bethune-Cookman timeout, Reid hit another 3-pointer to give South Florida its first lead of the game, 37-35. The Wildcats went on a 10-0 and retook the lead, 45-37, with 15:19 left in regulation. Over the next four minutes, the Wildcats outscored the Bulls 7-4 and took a 52-41 lead.
 
South Florida started to push the pace, which led to free-throw opportunities. The Bulls outscored the Wildcats 13-6 and cut the deficit to 58-54 with just under eight minutes. Eight of those points came at the free-throw line.
 
Bethune-Cookman extended its lead to 67-60 with 3:48 left in regulation. The Wildcats then closed out the game, winning 77-69.
 
Reynolds, Jennings, and Stroud all finished with six rebounds. Reid dished out a team-best four assists. The USF bench outscored the BCU bench 23-6.
 
Ward notched a game-high 19 points for Bethune-Cookman and collected a game-high 10 rebounds for a double-double. Trey Thomas and Brayon Freeman each added 18 points. Rouzan closed out the double-digit scorers with 12 points.
 
Notables
· Jamille Reynolds posted a team-high 15 points, his seventh game in double figures.
· Jayden Reid finished with 12 points for his sixth game in double digits.
· Kasen Jennings recorded his third-straight game in double figures with 12 points.
 
Up Next
The Bulls remain in Tampa for their next game on Saturday, December 21. South Florida will face East Texas A&M with a tip scheduled for 3 p.m. on ESPN+. Before the men’s game, the USF women battle Duke at noon.
 
About USF Men’s Basketball
The University of South Florida men’s basketball, led by interim head coach Ben Fletcher, is a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls enter their 2024-25 campaign, presented by Tampa General Hospital, on the heels of their best season in program history, in which they claimed their first-ever regular season conference title, won a record 25 games, and earned a Top 25 ranking for the first time in program history. A presence on the college basketball scene for more than five decades, South Florida has earned two conference titles and three NCAA tournament bids (1990, 1992, and 2012), appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational. 
 
South Florida is wearing patches with the initials AAR this season in memory of their head coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, who passed away in October 2024.
 
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center, located on South Florida’s Tampa campus. 
 
Men’s basketball single-game and season tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls or by visiting USFBullsTix.com.
 
Follow South Florida men’s basketball on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
 

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