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Georgetown Hammers Ice-Cold South Florida

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By BRETT McMURPHY

bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Published: February 18, 2009

TAMPA - Earlier this week, University of South Florida coach Stan Heath lamented about how to correct the Bulls' recent late-game offensive droughts.

He had no such problem against Georgetown on Wednesday night. Instead, it was the Bulls' early game struggles, and inability to hit free throws, and lack of enthusiasm, and ... well, it all added up to a 65-40 loss.

"There's no way to sugarcoat it, they handed it to us," Heath said. "We were really brutal on the offensive end."

With nine minutes remaining in the first half, USF trailed only 15-13. "Then the floodgates opened," Heath said.

The Hoyas closed the half on a 19-4 run. The Bulls trailed 34-17 at halftime, hitting only six of 22 field goals. A USF student and two elementary school students made more shots during the media timeout promotions than the Bulls did in the first half.

Any chance for a USF comeback clanged off the rims, mostly at the free-throw line. USF finished 39.1 percent from the free-throw line (9-for-23) and 31.9 percent from the field (15-for-47).

The 40 points tied for the third-fewest scored by a USF team.

"I don't think we matched their energy or enthusiasm," Heath said. "They came in here wanting to get back on the right track. I don't know if it was us going through the motions, being nonchalant or looking at the Georgetown names on the jersey and deciding whether we belonged on the court with them."

GEORGETOWN (14-10) - Summers 3-6 0-0 8, Mescheriakov 0-3 0-0 0, Monroe 4-7 4-4 12, Wright 6-9 4-5 17, Freeman 3-3 1-3 7, Clark 4-5 0-0 9, Sapp 4-6 0-0 10, Vaughn 1-4 0-0 2, Sims 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-43 9-12 65.

SOUTH FLORIDA (8-17) - Espinosa 1-2 0-0 2, Rivas 4-5 1-5 9, Howard 0-4 6-8 6, Jones 5-16 1-5 12, Verdejo 0-7 0-1 0, Belardo 0-1 0-0 0, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0, Leemow 0-0 0-0 0, Kardok 0-0 0-0 0, Gilchrist 5-12 1-4 11, Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-47 9-23 40.

Halftime-Georgetown 34-17. 3-Point Goals-Georgetown 6-14 (Sapp 2-3, Summers 2-4, Clark 1-1, Wright 1-2, Vaughn 0-1, Mescheriakov 0-3), South Florida 1-12 (Jones 1-5, Howard 0-1, Gilchrist 0-2, Verdejo 0-4). Rebounds-Georgetown 37 (Monroe 10), South Florida 26 (Rivas 6). Assists-Georgetown 17 (Wright 6), South Florida 11 (Howard, Jones 4). Total Fouls-Georgetown 18, USF 13. A-7,015.

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