Boatright thrives in Bulls’ loss
ORACLE FILE PHOTO/SEBASTIAN CONTENTO
USF trailed UConn 41-37 with nine minutes remaining in the game Sunday afternoon when Huskies guard Ryan Boatright took over the game.
The senior guard scored a layup off a pass from guard Sam Cassell Jr. to give the Huskies a six-point lead. He would go on to score UConn’s next 11 points, giving them enough of a boost to put away the Bulls in the final minutes as they coasted to a 66-53 win at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
With sophomore forward Chris Perry sitting out the game due to chest pain suffered in practice Saturday evening, USF was outmatched on the glass all afternoon.
Perry has averaged 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in just over 26 minutes per game, and his 6-foot-8, 242-pound frame was missed in the post.
UConn out-rebounded USF 35-18 and also blocked six of the Bulls’ shots. Coach Orlando Antigua played center Ruben Guerrero and forward Bo Zeigler in the absence of Perry; the two freshmen were able to grab only four rebounds in 59 combined minutes of playing time.
Perry returned from a nearby hospital to USF’s bench at halftime and his status is uncertain going forward.
Boatright finished the game with a season-high 28 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Guard Rodney Purvis was the only other Husky to reach double figures, scoring 17 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
While the Bulls’ size disadvantage was difficult to overcome, the lack of scoring proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
USF scored only 20 points in the first half, and leading scorer, senior guard Corey Allen Jr., scored 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting. Junior guard Nehemias Morillo was the only USF player to find any success on offense, leading the Bulls with 18 points.
USF will look to shed its five-game losing streak when it hosts SMU on Wednesday in the Sun Dome at 7 p.m.
More Stories
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]
Here’s why these USF softball players chose their jersey numbers
For athletes, the number they wear is more than the added fabric on the back of their jersey. It often tells a deeper story about the players — who they are and where they come from. Here’s why these three USF softball players chose their respective jersey numbers. Related: USF softball is gaining momentum during […]
USF football head coach Alex Golesh: The man behind the process
Football coach Alex Golesh said USF has been on his mind since his own days as a college student when the program was top five in the country. “I distinctly remember sitting there watching it and thinking ‘What is S Florida and what are they doing in the top five in the country?’” Golesh said. […]
USF baseball matches last season’s wins at midseason
USF baseball has reached its midseason, powering through a turnaround year. Despite losing to Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday 7-5, It has already won 21 games, matching the same total from last season with a road victory against Tulane on Sunday. The Bulls (21-16, 7-5 AAC) stand third out of 10 teams in the conference. […]
USF men’s basketball was gutted by the transfer portal. Here’s who remains on the roster.
Things move pretty quickly in this new world of college basketball thanks in large part to the explosion of the transfer portal. Less than a month removed from a second round exit in the National Invitation Tournament, USF men’s basketball looks a lot different than it did in mid-March. In the span of a […]
USF softball is gaining momentum during season’s final stretch
As the USF softball season draws to a close, it seems the team has found some momentum. The Bulls (30-16, 9-9 AAC) have won six of its last seven games. In the last nine days, they have won their last two conference series and stunned the then-ranked No.9 Florida Gators on Wednesday. USF had yet […]