TAMPA- Fla. – Clutch free throw shooting plus four players scoring in double figures helped South Florida grind out a come from behind 72-68 overtime victory over East Carolina Sunday evening in Yuengling Center. The win is USF's fifth in a row, the first five-game winning streak in league play since the 1991-92 season in the Metro Conference.
David Collins had a game high 21 points, Mayan Kiir added 13 – a career high – Laquincy Rideau had 12 and Justin Brown added 10 points in the win. Freshman center Michael Durr grabbed a career high 13 rebounds, five on the offensive glass. For the game the Bulls out rebounded ECU 46-22.
Isaac Fleming led ECU with 14 points.
RunningTheBulls.com was at the game and here is our Instant Analysis:
IT WAS OVER WHEN: ECU forward Seth Leday fouled Collins and the sophomore made two free throws to make it a two-possession game, at 72-68 with 6.4 seconds remaining.
HE STOLE THE SHOW: Collins filled up the stat sheet. He made 6-of-10 field goals, grabbed nine rebounds, dished five assists and had one steal. He came up big at the free throw line and was tough defensively.
THE STAT DOESN’T LIE: USF did not make a field goal in overtime. The Bulls were 10-of-14 at the free throw line in overtime.
WHAT A PLAY: Down 26-15 with nine minutes to play in the first half, Collins made a nice cut off of a screen along the baseline to receive a pass in the short corner. Collins took the pass drove baseline past two ECU defenders and exploded to the rim for a two-handed dunk.
THE BOTTOM LINE: USF wins its fifth game in a row, improves to 17-6, 7-4 AAC, wins its second game without Alexis Yetna in the lineup and travels to Orlando for a Wednesday night game against UCF (17-5, 7-3 AAC).