USF opens the season with a hard-fought loss to No. 21 Florida

The University of South Florida men’s basketball team opened the 2024-25 campaign in Jacksonville against No. 21 Florida on Monday. The Bulls finished with four players in double figures. South Florida battled for 40 minutes but fell to Florida 98-83.

The Bulls opened the season with four players in double figures for the second straight year. Jamille Reynolds led the way with a team-high 17 points. Kasen Jennings recorded 15 points. He led the team with three made 3-pointers, one shy of tying a career-high. Kobe Knox produced a 14-point performance, while Jimmie Williams added 10.

The Bulls came out strong and started the game on a 9-4 run. Knox scored five of those points. South Florida held a 17-16 lead at the second media timeout.

After the timeout, the Bulls went on a 9-2 run and took a 28-18 lead with just under eight minutes left until the break. Brown started the run with an emphatic slam in transition. The next USF position was capped off by a Knox alley-oop off a Jennings pass.

Florida responded with a 15-8 run, but South Florida still held a 36-33 lead with 3:29 left until halftime. The Gators outscored the Bulls 6-4 to end the first half, but USF took a 40-39 lead into the break.

South Florida shot 46.9 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from 3-point range in the first half. The USF defense held UF to 17.6 percent from 3-point range.

Reynolds got the second half started for the Bulls with a dunk. He accounted for five of the team’s eight points. UF held a 49-48 lead with 15:45 left in regulation.

The game’s intensity picked up over the next five minutes as the two sides continued to be in a physical battle. The Gators held a 69-62 lead with 7:56 left to play. Florida relied on free throws as they shot 18 and made 16.

South Florida fell to Florida 98-83. The Gators shot 29 free throws in the second half and made 23. For the game, UF attempted 33 free throws compared to the 17 by USF.

The Bulls played stellar defense against the long-range shots and held the Gators to 20.0 percent from 3-point range. The South Florida bench outscored the Florida bench 27-16. The Bulls had the advantage in fast-break points, 23-13.

Brandon Stroud and Reynolds tied for a team-high six rebounds. Jayden Reid paced the team with four assists and tied for a team-best three steals. Brown added a three-steal performance. Eight different players dished out an assist.

Notables

• The Bulls opened the season with four players in double figures for the second straight year.
• South Florida made 13 3-pointers and shot 48.1 percent from long range.

Up Next

The Bulls return to the court on Friday, November 8, with a trip to South Carolina. South Florida and the College of Charleston are scheduled for a 7 p.m. jump.

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.