Big East Tournament 2010: South Florida Wins To Keep NCAA Tournament Hopes Alive

Defense was the name of the game during the rematch between the DePaul Blue Demons (8-23) and the South Florida Bulls (20-11).

Both teams struggled in the first half, with USF holding a 30-15 advantage going into the half.

DePaul shot a measly 30 percent from the field and 26 percent from three-point range. USF wasn’t much better, going 43 percent from the field and going 0-of-8 from behind the arc.

This is the Bulls' second win over DePaul this season, previously winning 63-59. It’s the Bulls' first win in the Big East tournament since joining the conference.

This win wasn’t pretty for USF. It’s the first time since March 3, 2004 that the Bulls haven’t made a three-point shot in a game. It wasn’t just perimeter shooting that was off today either; USF went 6-of-14 from the line for a whopping 42 percent.

Jarrid Famous and Dominique Jones each had three turnovers as the Bulls totaled 10 for the game. Augustus Gilchrist wasn’t much better, going 1-of-8 from the field and finishing with two points and two missed dunks.

Mike Mercer’s 14 points and five rebounds helped ease the pressure on Jones to perform today. Jones finished with a game-high 20 points and added nine rebounds. Mercer and Jones were the only Bulls players in double figures.

Mac Koshwal gave USF all it could handle in their last meeting, but today was a different story. Koshwal was held in check with eight points and 10 rebounds while going 3-of-8 from the field. He had 24 points and 11 rebounds in the previous meeting.

Will Walker was the only bright spot for DePaul today. He finished with 20 points and tied Jones for the game high. Walker was the only Blue Demon in double figures.

USF continues to chase the slim hope of a NCAA Tournament berth. Since 1983, 123 Big East teams have won at least 20 games, with 120 going to the NCAA Tournament. USF is now 20-11 on the season going into its next game with Georgetown (20-9). The Bulls pulled the upset in the last meeting 72-64 in Washington, D.C. back in February.