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College basketball

'Pitiful' showing ends Bulls winning streak

Coach fumes after USF, which had won three in a row, falls 85-67 to UAB.

By RYAN MOLONEY
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 13, 2003

South Florida coach Seth Greenberg didn't wait for anybody to ask him about his team's performance Wednesday night against Alabama-Birmingham. He also didn't mince words.

"That was pitiful, plain and simple," Greenberg said minutes after the Bulls fell to the Blazers 85-67 in a sloppy and uneven game. "We had no energy or purpose and we didn't guard anyone. Where it came from, I don't know."

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Bulls and upset their bid to tie their season-best mark, set in November when they won their first four. South Florida (12-9, 5-5 C-USA) also failed to avenge a 79-69 defeat at the hands of the Blazers (13-7, 5-4) on Jan. 8.

The Bulls dropped to 1-8 on the road.

South Florida turned over the ball 21 times and shot 42.1 percent from the field.

"We didn't have one guy play well," Greenberg said, "and some guys were absolutely awful."

In a mistake-filled first half, the Bulls jumped out to a 7-2 lead before the Blazers went on a 14-6 run to take a three-point lead. South Florida went up 19-16 at the half's midway point on a 3-pointer by Jimmy Baxter, but UAB quickly answered with a 3-pointer from Richard Jones to tie.

Six lead changes later, the Bulls entered the half down 34-32, but the damage could have been worse. South Florida turned over the ball 12 times in the half and shot 39.3 percent from the field. The Bulls' saving grace: They outrebounded UAB 25-14, including eight offensive.

In the first 21/2 minutes of the second half, UAB went on a 12-7 run and built a seven-point lead. Guard Eric Bush led the Blazers charge with eight points in a little less than six minutes, but guard Brian Swift countered with seven points.

Yusuf Baker's two baskets and one by Terrence Leather brought the Bulls to within 54-53, but the Blazers went on a 13-0 run.

As runs go, this one wasn't pretty. Lee Cobb, a junior forward whose career high going in was two points, first hit a jumper and then a 3-pointer to give UAB a 10-point lead. Cobb finished with eight points. The run culminated with a dunk by Jeffrey Collins, giving the Blazers their largest lead 67-53.

"We didn't play well in the first half, but the second half was worse," USF guard Reggie Kohn said of a half in which the Blazers scored 51 on 53.7 percent shooting. "They made their shots and we didn't; it's as simple as that."

Will McDonald stopped the run with a little less than eight minutes left, but he couldn't convert the accompanying free throw. The Blazers then scored 10 of the next 12.

Baker scored 13 and Baxter and Swift 10 each. McDonald, who averaged 16.7 points, had eight.

UAB received 15 points from Bush and 12 each from Demario Eddins, Sidney Ball and Cedric Davis.

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