USF escapes last-minute FAU comeback stage with 90-86 victory on national TV, ESPN
The University of South Florida withstood Florida Atlantic's comeback attempt to win 11 straight in front of home attendance record.
Photo by: Gasner Delvarin Jr. | USF green jersey (#1), Selton Miguel drove in the paint for a tough layup over the FAU 7-1 foot center Vladislav Goldin on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. Miguel finished with a career-high 25 points in the USF victory 90-86 against FAU.
Gasner Delvarin Jr., Writer
February 18, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. — The University of South Florida Bulls (19-5, 12-1 AAC) secured a narrow victory 90-86 against the No. 24 Florida Atlantic Owls to extend their winning streak to 11 on Sunday afternoon. The Bulls remain the conference leader, and the Owls fall to third place.
Selton Miguel caught FAU off guard with a career-high 25 points, and Chris Youngblood added 23 points for the Bulls.
“We know that today is not solidifying anything,” USF coach Amir Abdur-Rahim said. “We’re going to make sure we stay focused on our ultimate goal. The biggest thing we have right now is we control our destiny.”
With the home attendance set a record of 10,659 fans, it didn't take time for the fans to get loud as the Bulls tied the game in the first half at 2-2 with 18:08 minutes remaining. USF took the lead a minute later at 5-2 on the Kobe Knox 3-pointer. They never look to give it back.
The Owls looked out of synch, as the Bulls were playing up-tempo with high energy, making shots and getting their crowd engaged.
As FAU struggled with 15:10 minutes on the clock in the first half, the center Vladislav Goldin missed a dunk. Meanwhile, Youngblood of USF got the defensive rebound and drilled a 3-pointer in the other end, pushing the lead to nine at 13-4.
Coach Dusty May of FAU took a 30-second team timeout and subbed in Brandon Weatherspoon and Giancarlo Rosado, who saw early action on his second game back from injury, looking for an answer.
The Owls started to respond with Alijah Martin, who nailed a 3-pointer, but the Bulls intensified the pressure and built a 17-point lead with 2:12 minutes remaining on a fastbreak from beyond the arc 3-point by Miguel, taking the lead to 46-29.
The Bulls entered the locker room with a comfortable lead at 46-31.
For what seemed going to be a quick closeout in the second half by the Bulls after they bubbled their lead to 25 with the score of 70-45 with 8:38 left in the game, the Owls started a comeback with Johnell Davis, who scored a layup plus the foul for a 3-point play.
FAU brought Brenen Lorient off the bench with his length and began to trap on full-court pressure, playing zone that led to a few turnovers by the USF players Youngblood and Miguel.
The Bulls found themselves stuck with the 70 points on the board for almost two minutes while the Owls were scoring in a bunch.
Within that short span, FAU scored from all angles. Goldin dominated the paint in authority with a couple of dunks, made jumpers, and knocked down his free throws.
USF saw their 25-point lead cut to ten with 07:05 minutes left, finally knocked down two free throws for a score of 72-60.
However, the night was far from over for the Bulls after they led a 12 point-gap at 79-67 with 04:39 minutes left in the game. Nick Boyd of FAU hit a corner 3-pointer the moment Gaffney was fouled by Brandon Stroud. Jalen Gaffney made two free throws for a quick 5 points, closing the gap 79-72.
Within the last 3 minutes remaining in the game, the Bulls saw their leads chopped to 1 at 87-86 when Davis hit a left corner 3-pointer with only 24 seconds left in the game.
USF buckled up on defense, forcing Davis into a tough jumper for a miss, while Youngblood hit his last 3-out-4 free-throws to secure the win on the score of 90-86 over FAU.
“This is just a heck of a college basketball game,” May said. “The environment was awesome for our game and our sport.
Goldin was the high scorer for the Owls with 23 points. Davis added 20.
South Florida will be on the road to play UTSA on Wednesday night, and Florida Atlantic will host SMU on Thursday evening.
Alijah Martin, Selton Miguel, Brandon Weatherspoon, Brenen Lorient, Johnell Davis, Nick Boyd, Dusty May, FAU, Amir Abdur-Rahim, Chris Youngblood, Giancarlo Rosado, Jalen Gaffney, Men's Basketball, Sports, Vladislav Goldin