Bo Zeigler and Jahmal McMurray come off the bench to combine for 40 points scoring, powering their team to an overtime thriller against Bethune-Cookman.
USF started the scoring in the game with a 3 point shot by Malik Fitts with just 20 seconds off the clock. A minute and a half later, Bethune-Cookman’s Brandon Suggs put down a dunk, followed shortly by a layup from Brandon Tabb to give the Wildcats the lead. They would relinquish that lead just one time in the first half, after USF guard, Jahmal McMurray, knocked down a three pointer with 14:46 remaining in the half to go up 11-9. BCU would go on scoring runs, leading by as many at 19 before taking at 44-31 lead into the halftime break. The Wildcats managed 22 points off of first half turnovers compared to just three for the Bulls.
The Wildcats continued their domination in the second half, leading by 15 points on multiple occasions and by 13 points with 4:17 remaining in the game. A minute later, Bo Ziegler came off the USF bench in relief, dunking and making a layup on back to back possessions, cutting the BCU lead to nine. Those two shots began a 13-0 run for the Bulls to tie the game in regulation.
In overtime, BCU took the first lead off of a jump shot by Reggie Baker. Halfway through the extra period, McMurray tied the game, 70-70. That would start a Bulls run, followed by two by Geno Thorpe, and a three pointer by McMurray to go up 75-70. BCU’s Diamante Lewis would sink two and then a free throw to bring the USF lead to a pair. The Bulls would close it with free throws, with Thorpe and McMurray each sinking two to give USF the win, 79-73.
Despite allowing 22 points off of turnovers in the first half, the Bulls only allowed three more in the rest of the game. McMurray and Zeigler had 20 points apiece off the bench, tying the team lead in scoring. Tulio Da Silva had a double-double, with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Malik Fitts also had a dozen points in his USF debut.
For BCU, Tabb and Quinton Forrest had 21 points each. Tabb fouled out with less than two minutes left in the game, his absence possibly contributing to the Bulls scoring run. The Wildcats drop to 3-8 on the season and will visit Tennessee-Martin in their next game, 12-17.
The Bulls improve to 5-3 with the win. They’ll play host to #16 South Carolina on Saturday for a 1 PM tipoff. That game will be broadcast nationally on CBSSN.
