TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The University of South Florida’s men’s basketball team set a program record Tuesday night after defeating the University of Central Florida in the first round of the NIT tournament.
With USF’s 83-77 victory against the in-state rival, the Bulls achieved 25 wins in the season. The victory was also USF’s first NIT win since a 75-59 win against Coppin State in 1995.
As a team, the Bulls set a program record with 13 made 3-pointers, besting the previous mark of 11 set against Ball State in 2002. South Florida produced an NIT program record with a 3-point percentage of 54.2 percent and a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent from the field.
The 22 made free throws set an NIT program record, while the 78.6 free throw percentage is the second-best in an NIT game for the Bulls. The USF bench was strong yet again, outscoring the UCF bench 38-25.
USF’s success comes after the basketball team cracked the Associated Press’ Top 25 Men’s College Basketball Poll at No. 25, marking the first time in program history that the Bulls reached the Top 25. The following week, the Bulls moved up to No. 24.
The Bulls advanced to the second round of the NIT, where they will face the winner of VCU and Villanova. The location of the game, as well as the date and time, will be announced at a later date.
