USF Outlasts Men's Basketball, 76-74, in Overtime
1/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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TAMPA, FLA. - Junior Jeremy Hazell (Harlem, N.Y.) scored a team-high 28 points, but it was not enough as USF out-lasted Seton Hall, 76-74, in overtime on Thursday.
The loss was the Pirates' first ever to USF in eight all-time meetings. The Bulls improved to 13-7 overall and 3-5 in the BIG EAST on the season.
Sophomore Herb Pope (Aliquippa, Pa.) had only five points, but grabbed a team-high 17 rebounds in the losing effort.
Seton Hall (12-7, 3-5) opened the scoring with a 30-foot three-pointer Hazell and then added two lay-ups by sophomore Jordan Theodore (Englewood, N.J.) to give the Pirates an early 7-1 lead with 15:46 left in the first half. USF would respond with a 10-2 run highlighted by a thunderous dunk from newcomer Jarrid Famous to give the Bulls their first lead, 11-9 with 11:34 before halftime.
The rest of the first half was played very close with both teams exhibiting strong half court defenses. Despite shooting only 32.1% from the floor, the Pirates carried a slim 28-27 lead into the half. Hazell led Seton Hall with 11 points. USF had three players with six points in the first half.
Early in the second half, the Pirates trailed by one, 31-30, when USF had a six-point possession. Famous was intentionally fouled by Robert Mitchell while making a lay-up and the Bulls' Dominique Jones made both free throws. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick then scored as USF kept possession off the intentional foul. The Bulls led 37-30 with 17:51 remaining in regulation.
Seton Hall clawed their way back and a turnaround jumper by Hazell trimmed the Bulls lead to one, 45-44, with 12:03 to play.
A "Hazell-range" three-pointer from Anthony Crater with 10:34 to go pushed the Bulls lead back up to six, at 50-44. But Jordan Theodore answered with a three of his own and Herb Pope found a streaking Hazell for a breakaway dunk to pull the Pirates to within one, 50-49, with 9:39 left.
With the game tied at 51, USF's Toarlyn Fitzpatrick hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to make the score 54-51 with 8:17 to go. It was just the third made three-pointer of the season for Fitzpatrick.
Down by five, Keon Lawrence hit a jumper, and on the next possession, Jeremy Hazell hit a three-pointer in the corner to tie the score at 58 with 5:49.
A free throw by Jarrid Famous with 1:44 remaining in regulation pushed the USF lead back to five, 65-60, but the Pirates weren't done. A three-pointer by junior Robert Mitchell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) made it 65-63 and then with only 28 seconds to go, Keon Lawrence (Newark, N.J.) scored on a driving layup to tie the game at 65. USF missed a pair of chances on their final possession and the game went into overtime.
Seton Hall took the lead as overtime began with a layup by Mitchell, 69-67, but it would be their last lead of the game. Neither team had a lead greater than two points in the overtime and with 38 seconds remaining USF's Chris Howard scored on a layup to give the Bulls a 75-73 lead. Hazell missed a three-pointer and USF grabbed the rebound, but Anthony Crater stepped on the baseline while trying to corral an errant pass and the ball went back to the Pirates, down two, with just 17 seconds remaining. The Pirates got the ball in deep to Pope, but he was fouled before he could score. With a chance to tie, Pope could only make the first of his two free throws and USF grabbed the rebound. Jarrid Famous was fouled and he too, made only the first of his two free throws, but with just five seconds remaining, and Seton Hall out of time outs, Robert Mitchell turned the ball over in the backcourt and the Pirates never got a chance at a last second shot.
Seton Hall shot 41.8% from the floor for the game, compared to 44.4% for USF. The Pirates were also out-rebounded, 43-to-35. Both teams took good care of the ball and only turned the ball over eight times a piece.
USF junior Dominique Jones led the Bulls with 28 points including 10-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line.
The Pirates fall to 0-3 this season in overtime games.
Seton Hall will return to action on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 when travel to Philadelphia to take on #3 Villanova at The Pavilion. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
