Jayden Reid led the University of South Florida men’s basketball team with 14 points in Wednesday’s game against Charlotte. The Bulls (10-9, 3-3) fell to the 49ers (8-12, 1-6) 69-61.
Reid added three rebounds and two assists to accompany his 14 points. Jamille Reynolds, CJ Brown, Brandon Stroud, and Jimmie Williams finished with nine points. Stroud collected a team-high seven rebounds, while Reynolds brought down six. Kobe Knox, Kasen Jennings, and Reid all dished out two assists. De’Ante Green produced a game-high two blocked shots. Brown and Stroud each had two steals.
The Bulls came out of the gate strong. USF opened the game, shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Reid put South Florida up six, 18-12, with his first 3-pointer.
The two sides continued to battle for the remainder of the opening stanza. The 49ers closed out the half, making six of their last eight shots, and they took a 37-36 lead into the break.
The Bulls finished the first half shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from 3-point range. Reid was the only player in double figures at the break and was 2-for-2 from long distance. The USF defense forced eight turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
Charlotte opened the second half on a 5-0 run and extended its lead to 42-36. The 49ers extended their lead to eight, 44-36, but the Bulls continued to battle and cut the deficit back to four, 46-42. During the stretch, South Florida held Charlotte to zero field goals for over seven minutes of play.
With just over two minutes left in regulation, the 49ers extended their lead to nine, their largest of the game, 64-55. Charlotte held off South Florida’s late push and won 69-61.
The Bulls forced 16 turnovers, one shy of the 49ers’ season high. South Florida had the advantage in points in the paint (14-6), points in the paint (30-24), fastbreak points (8-5), and bench points (24-3).
Nik Graves led the 49ers with 19 points. Kylan Blackmon added 15 points. Robert Braswell chipped in with 13 points, while Jaehshon Thomas had 10 points. Giancarlo Rosado collected a game-high 11 rebounds.
Notables
· Jayden Reid produced a team-high 14 points. It was his 12th game in double digits.
· The Bulls bench outscored the opponents for the 14th game of the season.
Up Next
The Bulls will return to North Carolina on Saturday, January 25. South Florida will take on East Carolina at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
