Stunner: USF Topples No. 8 Marquette

After the University of South Florida's 57-56 upset of No. 8 Marquette on Friday night, the Bulls might never practice again.

Coach Stan Heath gave the Bulls two days off this week and it paid off with the biggest win in school history. The victory against the Golden Eagles marked the highest-ranked opponent USF has defeated in program history and ended a 32-game losing streak against top-10 ranked teams.

Heath said it was the biggest regular-season victory in his eight-year head coaching career.

"By far the biggest, outside of the NCAA Tournament, for me," Heath said. "For where our program is, our team, that's a huge win, especially after coming close so many times against ranked teams and not getting over the top.

"It's the first time we got over the top against one of these teams."

It certainly wasn't easy.

The Bulls (8-14, 3-7 Big East) took a 57-56 lead on Dominique Jones' layup with 15.9 seconds remaining. Jones was fouled on the shot but missed the free throw, giving the Golden Eagles (20-3, 9-1) one final chance.

They actually had two chances, but didn't convert.

After a timeout with 10.5 seconds remaining, MU's Wesley Matthews took the ball at the top of the key and received a screen, making Jones switch with USF's Jesus Verdejo. Matthews drove on Verdejo, but his contested layup with about two seconds left bounced off the rim.

MU's Lazar Hayward grabbed the offensive rebound but missed an easy put-back from less than two feet away as the buzzer sounded.

"They knew we were switching on a screen so Matthews can drive on me because they thought I was the weakness on defense," Verdejo said. "I just told myself, 'I know this is coming. Don't let it happen like it did against UConn, a 74-73 loss last year. Everything's going to fall down on you. Be the hero tonight.'

"I just tried to make Matthews take a tough shot. Hayward had a wide-open layup. I think everything - that was God. That was God that made him miss that layup. Really."

When the horn finally sounded, Heath pumped his fists and Verdejo raised both arms. USF's Chris Howard grabbed the basketball and flung it toward the heavens. It landed about six rows deep in the jubilant USF student section among the Sun Dome crowd of 5,316.

Verdejo, who was shooting only 27 percent in Big East play, led the Bulls with 21 points. The senior carried the Bulls down the stretch, scoring 15 of USF's 25 second-half points. In USF's postgame locker-room celebration, he broke down crying.

"For me to be a part of history, that's something I'm really proud of for me, my teammates and coaches," Verdejo said.

Jones added 15 points and five rebounds, Howard had 10 points and five rebounds, and Alex Rivas added nine rebounds in 19 minutes.

"We gave up a couple of games that we were supposed to win, and you can tell by the look on Heath's face that it kind of broke his heart," Jones said. "We felt like getting this win would lift him up and give our team confidence to keep moving in the Big East."

The Golden Eagles entered as the only unbeaten in Big East play and one of only six teams in the nation unbeaten on the road. Those streaks came to a screeching halt when they shot 16 percent (4-for-24) from 3-point range and 43 percent (10-for-23) from the free-throw line.

"We were out of rhythm," MU coach Buzz Williams said.

Maybe so, but Verdejo said the Bulls wanted it more. Earlier this week, USF assistant Dan Hipsher required each player to read an article about toughness. The Bulls learned quickly.

"What I learned - those last 10 seconds - who wants it?" Verdejo said. "It's all about toughness. It's all about being a man and that's what happened.

"Still," he said, "I can't believe we won."