Pictured above: Caleb Murphy scored 13 points and a career-high of seven rebounds.
Courtesy of Max Steele | The Crow’s Nest
By Sofía García Vargas
“We played South Florida basketball tonight,” coach Brian Gregory said at the post-game press conference after the USF men’s basketball team defeated the University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights in the anticipated “War On I-4.”
With a slime green dressed team, the Bulls stepped onto the court with a need for victory as they had not won a home game in over a month.
Corey Walker Jr. opened USF’s scoreboard at the end of the first minute of play with a layup assisted by Jamir Chaplin. A minute and a half later, Darin Green Jr. added the Knight’s first two points with a layup.
UCF struggled to get past the Bulls defense but managed to stay three points behind with 12:30 left in the first half.
Around that same time, Javon Greene began USF’s season high of eight three-pointers with a deep shot from beyond the arch. Shortly after, Trey Moss added another shot from the perimeter, putting the team up 14-8.
This hurt the Knights, as they struggled in three-point effectiveness, only being able to clutch two out of 20 attempts.
From there, the Bulls widened their lead to 30-19 with 4:53 left in the quarter.
At 3:56, UCF’s Dre Fuller Jr. started the run that shortened the Bulls lead with a jumper. Two minutes later, C.J. Walker slammed a dunk that put the Knights just five points away at the end of the quarter 35-26.
The teams went into the locker rooms with UCF needing to break the Bull’s defense and USF keeping their head in the game to not lose the lead.
Chaplin opened the second half with a layup, followed by the Bull’s hitting nearly every three they shot. Within six minutes, Greene and DJ Patrick combined for four three-pointers, putting the team up 55-35 with 9:46 left in the game.
Toward the end of the match, UCF shortened USF’s lead at the free throw line to 75-51.
The game marked the first American Athletic Conference (AAC) win for the Bulls this season and showcased the ever-improving talent of the players.
Greene finished the game with 19 points (15 from three-point shots), nine rebounds and four steals.
Caleb Murphy scored 13 points and a career-high of seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Chaplin scored 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds
Bayron Matos and Walker Jr. also had career-highs with nine and seven rebounds respectively.
Despite being short-handed without two of its key players, Jake Boggs and Jalyn McCreary, the Bulls demonstrated discipline and passion out on the court.
The lively crowd cheered on USF throughout the game and celebrated the streak of three home games won against UCF.
“I’ve had the privilege of being part of a lot of big rivalries in my basketball career, and this one rates right up there. There’s real passion,” Gregory said. “Our fans and that student section were just fantastic tonight. Our guys really fed off of it.”
The Bulls will rematch against the University of Houston on Tuesday, Jan. 18 looking to bounce back from their 83-66 loss against the Cougars on Jan. 5.
