USF has a chance to send it to overtime but can't come up with the basket, losing 59-57 to East Carolina.
By PETE YOUNG
Published February 4, 2004
TAMPA - For the first time in 2004, South Florida had the opportunity to win: an open shot, two seconds to go, a chance to go to overtime.
It figured, though, with the way things have been going, the guy with the open look would be a freshman who had made four baskets in his college career.
Such is life for the attrition-ravaged Bulls. Konimba Diarra's 8-foot baseline turnaround was long, Brandon Brigman couldn't get the rebound-follow off in time, and East Carolina earned its first-ever Conference USA road win 59-57 before 2,805 at the Sun Dome.
USF, playing with five healthy scholarship players plus an under-the-weather Brigman, dropped to 6-11, 0-6 in C-USA.
"I'm extremely proud of our effort," said USF coach Robert McCullum, whose team dropped its first five league games by double figures. "This is the first time in six conference games we've put ourselves in a position to win, and that's all you can ask."
USF had rallied from 12 down.
"I don't think words can describe how (disappointed) I feel right now," point guard Brian Swift said. "Things like that are tough."
On the final play, Bradley Mosley, who had committed USF's only turnover of the second half on the previous possession with USF trailing 58-57, dribbled to his right across a pick from Terrence Leather and passed to Swift running off a baseline screen in the corner.
Swift had the hot hand all night. He scored a career-high 20, including making 6-of-11 3-pointers, and seven assists. With the Pirates hounding him - they used a box-and-one on Swift for the final 10 minutes - he opted for another assist, dumping it in to the unguarded Diarra.
"I saw the guy that was guarding me fly by, but I knew there were two other guys (close by)," Swift said. "Next thing I saw was Konimba standing there wide open.
"It was a good look for him. Unfortunately he missed it. He makes that all day in practice."
Horrid ECU free-throw shooting abetted USF's rally from a double-figure deficit in the final seven minutes. The Pirates missed 8 of 11 free throws in the final 7:51 and had a lane violation, but they hung on for their first C-USA win of the season.
"Yeah," Pirates coach Bill Herrion said when asked if he was worried his team would blow it. "My mouth was dry. It's hard, man. We don't know how to put people away in this league, obviously."
Largo High graduate Erroyl Bing was one of the Pirates stumbling at the free-throw line (6-of-14). However, Bing, who had 10 points and 10 rebounds, wore a victory smile afterward.
"It feels great to get that first C-USA road win," said Bing, who had about 40 supporters in the stands, including his parents. "The last couple of games we were right on the doorstep. It's a huge weight off our backs."
USF got off to another awful start, trailing 13-3 after eight minutes. The Bulls, who led for 25 seconds in the early going, have had the lead for about two minutes out of 240 in C-USA play this season.
"It's getting real old," Swift said of the slow starts. "There comes a point in time it needs to stop."
Four USF players - Swift, Mosley (15 points, seven assists), Terrence Leather and Gerrick Morris - went 36 or more minutes. Both teams dressed only nine players, and USF's included three walk-ons.
Since the beginning of January, two Bulls have quit and another two have sustained major injuries. Brigman had a medical procedure Tuesday that left him weakened, and he did not play in the first half. With Morris and walk-on Brian Graham fouled out, Diarra and Brigman had to play at the end.
ECU got a career-high 19 points from freshman Frank Robinson, who also made the key steal on USF's second-to-last possession. Leather had 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Morris had five blocks.
"It hurts," Morris said. "It's something we've got to get over."
USF plays Saturday at Tulane. The Green Wave is the only other winless team in C-USA play.
