By Kenneth Cross
TAMPA, Fla. – Center Kasean Pryor scored 29 points as the South Florida Bulls trailed for 35 minutes and then unraveled the Rice Owls, 81-73 at Yuengling Center on Friday evening.
Pryor was a major key in the comeback as he scored 19 consecutive points between the 6:56 mark of the second half and with 21 seconds remaining in the game. He turned a 66-59 deficit into a 78-71 lead and the eventual win.
“He can do so many different things,” Bulls head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim said of Pryor. “KP, this is what we have to have every night to win. He gives us that energy defensively and we become a totally different team.”
Pryor is a multi-talented player who can figure in all of the columns of a box score. His activity on both ends of the floor is key with his athleticism and quickness. That was seen when he added five blocked shots, five steals, and he went 15-of-16 from the free throw line.
“That was a big-time game,” Pryor commented. “We just had to persevere at the end and be an elite team. We work on execution in late-game situations and obviously wee bring it all together.”
Coach Abdur-Rahim has created a team that works together and relies on each other’s strengths and skills. Three Bulls joined Pryor in double figures and they all had their moments inside of the game. Selton Miguel emerged off the bench with 16 points while Kobe Knox posted 15 and Chris Youngblood supplied 12 points.
“The next game it may be about somebody else getting 26,” said Abdur-Rahim. “I’ll be humble when I say this, but pick your poison. Who are you going to stop? Who are you going to take away?”
Kobe Knox kept the Bulls within striking distance when they struggled in the first half. He scored nine of the Bulls’ first 12 points when they trailed 13-12 with 14:38 remaining in the first half. He hit a three to end the first half which cut the Ols’ lead to 40-31 at halftime.
“We had kind of a slow start and a start we kind of didn’t want,” explained Knox. “I trust my offense and see open areas on the court. I trust the ball movement so guys did a good job of finding me.”
Miguel consistently added his offense throughout the game as he scored 16 points in 29 minutes on 6-of-11 shooting. Youngblood hit a three followed by a layup in the first half to cut the Rice lead to 28-22. He bracketed Pryor’s 19 consecutive points with a pair of his own free throws before and after Pryor’s excellence.
Defense was a solid aspect in the Bulls’ turnaround as well. Pryor added five blocked shots and five steals with his activity on the defensive end. It was key as the Bulls stopped Rice at 44 percent from the floor in the second half while outrebounding the Owls, 17-14, in those second 20 Minutes.
For the game, South Florida scored 28 points off of 18 forced turnovers and the Bulls only committed six turnovers which resulted in Rice scoring two baskets.
“It is not good, it is not great, that is elite,” analyzed Abdur-Rahim. “When your assist-to-turnover ratio is 3-to-1, when you can take care of the ball and get shots at the basket, and when we get shots at the basket, we are pretty good.”