No. 25 South Florida Triumphs Over Charlotte 76-61, Extends Winning Streak to 14 Games – Sky Bulletin

For the first time in its history, the University of South Florida Bulls carried the prestige of being a ranked team, a status that has not hindered their winning ways.

With Chris Youngblood delivering 17 pivotal points and Kasean Pryor adding 16 points and nine boards, the No. 25 Bulls continued their streak by taking down Charlotte 76-61 on Saturday. This victory not only extended their streak to an impressive 14 games but also secured the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship.

Selton Miguel complemented his team’s effort with a 13-point performance for the Bulls (22-5, 15-1 AAC), who haven’t seen defeat since January 7th. Their success has earned them a well-deserved spot in the AP Top 25 earlier in the week.

“Yes, it feels different,” head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim admitted about the newly acquired ranking. “The proverbial target is now squarely on our backs.”

He added, however, that his team’s sustained success is due to their focus on ‘the same old boring habits’, with still much of the season left to play.

Last season, Abdur-Rahim observed, Florida Atlantic from their own conference made a surprising run to the Final Four. He believes that the AAC is stacked this year and proposes that four or five teams could make a justified entrance to the NCAA Tournament.

Lu’Cye Patterson tried to rally Charlotte (17-11, 11-5 AAC) with 17 points of his own, but the team’s eight-game winning streak at home came to an end.

Initially, Charlotte showed intent, securing a 12-7 lead over the Bulls following a succession of successful early shots. The tides turned preceding half-time as USF sharpened their defense and entered the break leading 33-28. Pryor’s corner three-pointer after intermission effectively sealed Charlotte’s fate as they couldn’t mount a significant challenge after that.

The game was not without controversy when Pryor threw a pass that struck Charlotte’s Igor Milicic in the face. This raised the ire of the crowd but was not deemed an intentional foul upon review. Charlotte’s coach Aaron Fearne didn’t believe there was harmful intent from Pryor.

Despite not being available for post-game comments, Pryor’s performance alongside Youngblood’s was a key factor in South Florida’s success that evening.

THE BIG PICTURE

South Florida: The Bulls met the challenge of their new AP Top 25 status and managed to snatch victories against Southern Methodist and Charlotte. With an impressive 20 wins out of their last 21 games, they enter the conference tournament as the top seed and seem destined for an NCAA Tournament spot regardless of conference outcomes.

Charlotte: Despite preseason expectations placing them 13th in the AAC, the 49ers have had a season exceeding everyone’s predictions. Still, they’re facing a three-game losing skid that’s stifling their momentum as the conference tournament looms close.

UP NEXT

South Florida: The Bulls will be taking on Tulane at home on Tuesday night.

Charlotte: Looking to bounce back, the 49ers host Rice on Wednesday night.

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More on AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball