USF men pull off a comeback for the ages in the final nine minutes to stun UTSA

Next game: North Texas (19-6, 10-3) at USF (13-14, 6-8)

When: Sunday, February 23, Noon, at the Yuengling Center

TV/radio: ESPNU and Bulls Unlimited

With about nine minutes left in the game Wednesday night, the USF men’s basketball team trailed UTSA by 20 points. No one would have blamed you for changing channels or turning off the TV and going to bed.

However, those hearty souls who stuck it out saw an epic comeback as the Bulls – on the road, by the way – blitzed the Roadrunners in those final minutes en route to a 76-71 win.

Jimmie Williams led the comeback, scoring 12 of his team-high 16 points in that furious finish. The rally equaled the second-largest comeback in program history, equaling the margin USF erased last season at Memphis. Only the 25-point erasure against Stony Brook in the 2019 CBI was larger.

“I thought our effort defensively was tremendous, and we got contributions from a lot of different guys, like we always talk about,” interim coach Ben Fletcher said.

“But man, Jimmie Williams, with his with his scoring ability in the second half, sparked us. And then we had numerous guys make defensive plays.”

USF had five players in double figures, and Brandon Stroud had 17 rebounds (no, that’s not a misprint) to go with his 11 points. He also had five steals, three assists, and four blocked shots.

“Brandon, man, he's like, he's the heart and soul of this team. I'm super proud of him. I was angry with him early on because he missed some, some easy layups in there, but you can never question his effort and toughness,” Fletcher said.

“He is dependable, just dependable. Man, he showed it tonight,”

The Bulls shot 56 percent from the floor in the second half in breaking a three-game losing streak. It was a double dose of feel-good for team that desperately needed some positive vibes.

USF has battled through injuries to key players and other issues. Corey Walker, who gave the Bulls inside depth, was suspended for multiple games for what Fletcher called conduct detrimental to the team. He returned briefly, but now apparently is no longer with the Bulls. His bio has been removed from the team’s website.

However, no one was thinking about those issues after Wednesday’s rally. The Bulls ended the game on an 18-2 run.

“It gives us a chance to kind of get our catch our breath. You know, we've been going through quick turnarounds in the last three outings,” Fletcher said.

“To get a to get a true off date (Thursday) would be great for these guys, to kind of get the legs back under them.”