USF MBB Beats Georgia Southern 66 to 46

Ron Anderson Jr. had a team high 17-points as the Bulls beat Georgia Southern.

The Bulls, without Augustus Gilchrist, put on a show in the St. Pete Forum as they handled Georgia Southern 66 to 46, displaying hard nose defense and balanced scoring. Gilchrist, battling a shoulder strain, sat out this game (will be back Saturday) but the Bulls would be just fine without him.

Ron Anderson Jr., who had 4 shots over the weekend in the two losses, led the team with 17 points and 4 rebounds. His free throw shooting was off, but he did enough to help dominate the post against the undersized Georgia Southern lineup. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick had 5 points and 7 rebounds in the spot start. He was scoreless in the first half, but made a solid adjustment in the second to help crash the boards. Victor Rudd had 9 points and 6 rebounds as well.

The backcourt was solid tonight for USF. LaVonte Dority had 8 points, being more aggressive, attacking the hoop (great to see from him). Blake Nash had another strong game as he continues to show more on offense and defense. He had 9 points (1 of 5 from 3-point range), 4 assists, and 3 steals. Hugh Robertson had 6 points and 3 rebounds. Shaun Noriega had 8 points as he continues to find his range.

The player we all wanted to see (after Heath talked him up) was freshman guard Anthony Collins. Heath stated Collins was still not at full strength, but didn't show it in his limited minutes off the bench. He had 6 assists, 4 points, and 2 steals. He attacked the hoop with his speed and made sharp passes to wide open teammates. While he is not the starter (yet), he provided a spark and could be a key player down the way.

This was a nice win before Thanksgiving for the Bulls. After losing two straight games, they needed a strong performance to back on track. They will look to continue their strong play at home as they face FAU on Saturday night, game starts at 7PM at the University of Tampa.