By Sunday Afternoon, the South Florida Bulls clinched a share of the regular-season AAC title with a 90-62 win over Tulane.
The win gives the Bulls a share of their second AAC championship in three years.
A balanced scoring attack, relentless rebounding, and strong defensive execution helped USF build early momentum and keep the pressure on throughout the game.
By the end of the first half, South Florida had established an 11-point lead, 49-38, and would build on that lead in the second half. The Bulls would extend that lead to 22 points in the second half, before cruising to a 90-62 win.
Wes Enis had another outstanding game, leading USF with 25 points, including five three-pointers. Enis has now made 94 threes on the season, just three off the USF record of 97 set in the 2022-23 season.
Izaiyah Nelson added another double-double to his season total, his 18th of the season, with 14 points and 13 rebounds, and a career high of six assists.
Josh Omojafo also had a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The Bulls once again were dominant in the paint, outscoring Tulane 42-14. The Bulls also had an excellent night from the free-throw line, hitting on 21/25 for 84 percent.
One area the USF dominated was rebounding, as they outrebounded Tulane 43-32 and owned a 15-7 edge on the offensive end.
Defensively, USF forced 18 Tulane turnovers, leading to 20 points for the Bulls.
USF again mixed their man-to-man and zone looks defensively throughout the game and played with the kind of energy they will need to bring in the tournament games.
The Bulls are now 21-8 on the season, and with the win, they can do no worse than a tie for the regular-season AAC crown.
The Bulls have also now won seven in a row, the second-longest streak in school history, and have secured a semi-final spot in the AAC Tournament.
The Bulls are also number 48 in the NET rankings and are now in control of their own destiny. USF will play at Memphis on Thursday Night, then be back home for Senior Day against Charlotte on March 8th to wrap up the regular season.
One win in either of those final two games, and the Bulls win the AAC title outright.
Coach Bryan Hodgson was quick to give credit to the late Amir Abdur-Rahim amid the celebration in the locker room.
None of this is possible without coach Amir”, Hodgson said. “One of the main reasons I took this job was because he laid a foundation that showed college basketball was possible at South Florida.”
These things don’t come easy,” USF head coach Bryan Hodgson said. “This is phenomenal. We’re excited, but we’re not done.”
“So we’re going to go handle business in these next two games to make sure that happens.”
