USF Men’s Basketball Shocks SMU 61-60 On Senior Night

USF was in the middle of another disastrous, mid game meltdown and OH MY GOD RIDEAU I LOVE YOU.

With 24 seconds left, USF missed a three pointer and SMU collected the rebound to keep the game at 60-55. With 13 seconds left in the game, it looked like the Bulls were all but dead in the water with another second half collapse.

However, the stars aligned for the green and gold with the help of tenacious defense and a ‘never-give-up’ attitude. After their second baseline violation by SMU, Justin Brown put life back in the Bulls by hitting a layup while being fouled and scoring his free throw.

With the score at 60-58 in favor of the Mustangs, the Ponies missed two free throws and Laquincy Rideau was able to collect the rebound with 6 seconds left.

On his senior night, Rideau sprinted up the court and drained a game winning three with a defender in his face to put the Bulls up 61-60.

Rideau finished the game with 12 points, but none bigger than his final shot at the Yuengling Center. Not to be outshined, fellow senior Antun Maricevic contributed mightily for the entire game, scoring 14 points and being a force on the inside.

Up next for the Bulls will be the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Ft. Worth, Texas, where they will be playing either UCF or Temple, pending a UCF victory over ECU.