The University of South Florida men’s basketball team lost a close game to Temple, 79–78, at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on Saturday night. The contest was marked by 11 lead changes and was decided in the final seconds.
Izaiyah Nelson led the Bulls with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and made 10 free throws. Wes Enis contributed 17 points and three three-pointers. Joseph Pinion added 16 points off the bench, most of which came in the second half.
CJ Brown recorded 11 points and six assists for South Florida. He has now recorded at least three assists in 20 consecutive games and remains the leader in assists within the American Conference.
Temple started strong before South Florida responded with a run midway through the first half. Defensive adjustments by South Florida included switching to zone coverage around the eight-minute mark, which limited Temple’s offense and helped keep Adian Tobiason scoreless for several minutes. The Bulls trailed by one point at halftime.
Early in the second half, Pinion hit a three-pointer assisted by Brown to give South Florida a brief lead. Both teams then went through a period of defensive stops and limited scoring. South Florida forced Temple into 12 turnovers during the game.
In the closing minutes, Pinion scored back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 73–73 with just over three minutes left. He followed with a layup and free throw to put his team ahead by three points with under two-and-a-half minutes remaining. Nelson’s dunk gave South Florida a one-point lead with 22 seconds left, but Temple regained control before time expired.
South Florida shot a season-best 87 percent from the free-throw line (27-of-31), and four players reached double figures: Enis, Pinion, Nelson, and Brown.
The Bulls return home on Wednesday, February 4th to play UTSA at Yuengling Center for Student Appreciation Night and Arthur Jones Night. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with radio coverage available on Bulls Unlimited.
Tickets for single games or season packages can be purchased by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls or visiting USFBullsTix.com. Season ticket holders unable to attend are encouraged to transfer or donate their tickets using instructions provided online.
Bryan Hodgson is head coach of South Florida men’s basketball after joining from Arkansas State where he led that program to two consecutive seasons of over twenty wins each and its first postseason appearance since 1999 during his tenure there. The Bulls have played their home games at Yuengling Center since entering their fifty-fifth season this year; they last won an American Athletic Conference regular season title in 2023-24 and have appeared in thirteen postseason tournaments overall including three NCAA Tournaments.
“South Florida men’s basketball named Bryan Hodgson, 37, as the program’s 12th head coach on March 24, 2025. Hodgson came to Tampa from Arkansas State, where he led the program to back-to-back 20-win seasons and its first postseason appearance since 1999 in his two seasons at the helm.”
“The program, entering its 55th season in 2025-26, most recently won the American Athletic Conference regular season championship in 2023-24 and has made 13 postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournaments, nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019.”
“Three former Bulls – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame.”
“The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.”
