USF Cruises to Big Victory Over St. John's

Victor Rudd went off for 24 points in the second half as the Bulls got the win against St. John's. (Picture: www.gousfbulls.com)

The Bulls put on a strong effort tonight as they took care of business and beat St. John's 64 to 49, improving to 11-8 on the season and 4-2 in conference play. This is the first time in program history the team is 4-2 in league play and the 11 wins is more than all of last season's win total (had just 10 last year).

The game was close for the first half with Jawanza Poland coming off the bench and adding 16 points and 3 rebounds. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick had 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Hugh Robertson had 4 points and 4 rebounds. Augustus Gilchrist had just 4 points (all on free throws) and 2 rebounds.

The real story was the play of freshman guard Anthony Collins who led the team with 9 assists and 2 steals on the night, setting up the offense. Ron Anderson Jr. had 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks (Noriega was out due to illness and Nash was not dressed as he deals with a possible ankle injury).

While Collins had a big night, the star of the second half was Victor Rudd. After an ugly first half, Rudd exploded for 24 points (5 of 7 shooting from 3-point range) including 9 rebounds on the night. Rudd has a monster slam late that set the Bulls on top for good and put a smile on his face as he finally found his range. The Bulls will need more of that down the road.

This was a huge game for the team and the program. 11 wins and a winning record in conference play is huge for Heath and the team, but they still have a lot of work to do. They will now hit the road as they face DePaul on Sunday afternoon at 2PM.