In Tampa FL, on Tuesday, December the 14th, the University of South Florida took on Austin Peay in what looked to be like a great match-up. Austin Peay has had a decent season so far, coming into the game with a record of 4-4 (notable games; lost by 17 to TCU, won against Dayton by 6), and with four of their five starters averaging more than 10 PPG (Points Per Game). South Florida on the other hand has had a tougher start to their season, going 3-4 headed into this matchup (notable games; lost by 6 to #13 Auburn, lost by 15 to Boston College, lost by 1 to SC State). 

The game started off with a heavy defensive showing by USF, only allowing Austin Peay to score 2-pts for the first 11 minutes of play. For a team such as Austin Peay coming in with a good offense statistically, they were shut down easily by USF in the first half. Some of the notable statistics from the Bulls defense in the first half; 6 points were scored off of a turnover, 8 points via fast breaks, 27 total rebounds (Austin Peay did not obtain a single Offensive Rebound in the first half).

The most interesting part of the game for Austin Peay, was in the second half when they were able to tie the game at 40-pts with eight minutes to go in the game. Unlike the first half where they only scored a total of 16-pts, they came out swinging offensively putting up 35-pts in the second half, Cameron Copeland lead the way with 10-pts of his own. Though they were able to score more they were not able to keep a strong defense, still allowing USF to outscore them, therefore winning the game in the end.

Things to note from this game, it was very aggressive. At some point during the night, I thought I was watching a hockey game. There was a Technical Foul given to Austin Peay’s Noel Scott in the second half. USF had the lead for 36 minutes during this game, compared to Austin Peay only having the lead for a total of 2 minutes

Overall this win is great for USF heading into a big next two games against The University of Florida, and BYU. Yet for Austin Peay, this loss is not what they need going into a matchup against Vanderbilt, and Western Kentucky.