USF blown out on road in Pitt

The streak continues to grow for USF as the Bulls (10-17, 1-14) traveled to Pittsburgh to tip off with No. 23 Panthers only to be handed their tenth straight loss.

It was business as usual for USF.

Starting a game. Hoping to end the worst type of streak. Ending the game, hopes crushed.

The Panthers (21-7, 9-6) outplayed USF toward the tail end of the first half and the entire second half in the 64-44 loss for the Bulls. 

To start the game, USF looked like the hot team.

With 12:38 left to go in the first half, it was sophomore guard Anthony Collins who tossed the ball from the top of the key to senior guard Jawanza Poland for a Sportscenter Top 10-worthy alley-oop to put the Bulls on a 7-0 run.

The dunk had the Bulls up 14-6.

But in what seems to be the story of USF this season, if things look good for the Bulls, bad news is likely around the corner.

It was.

Pittsburgh managed an 8-0 run to tie at 14 with nine minutes left before halftime, and from then on it was back-and-forth basketball until the buzzer went off at the half with the Bulls down by one, 26-25.

USF junior forward Victor Rudd had his fingerprints on the game early, ending the half with nine points and four rebounds. Rudd finished the night as the Bulls’ lead scorer with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Rudd aside, there wasn’t much to brag about for the Bulls. 

USF shot poorly from both the field and three-point range with 37.5 percent from each. Luckily for USF, Pittsburgh shot worse with 26.9 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

The second half a turnaround began — for the Panthers.

Pittsburgh tallied up points with ease, scoring 38 points in the second half to the Bulls’ 19.

While USF struggled to find the net, Pittsburgh found its shot, shooting almost 60 percent from the field and going 4-of-8 from beyond the arch.

Pittsburgh also attacked the boards, snagging 20 rebounds — another weakness for USF this season.

The tale of the second half was simple — USF couldn’t score and Pittsburgh went on one run after the other.

The Bulls head home for their last two games at the Sun Dome this season, starting with DePaul on Sunday at 2 p.m.