TAMPA, Fla. – The Yuengling Center’s capacity is listed at 10,411. With standing-room tickets that were made available, there is a good chance the venue’s attendance record of 10,444 against Florida on December 8, 2001, will go by the board Sunday (Noon, ESPN) when the first-place Bulls meet No. 24 FAU.
The women’s mark is 7,014 against SMU as part of a doubleheader with the men last season.
The Bulls (18-5/10-1 AAC), who received seven votes in the most recent AP poll and five in the coaches’ poll, were not caught looking ahead Wednesday night. Indeed, they charged out to a 44-28 lead at the half in what would be a 69-50 win over visiting Tulsa.
Read: USF Men’s Basketball Making Program History, But Not About To Get Comfortable
That is not to say everything was smooth. Some sloppiness in the second half at least opened the door for Tulsa to make a good run, which it did not. Still, the Bulls have to be cleaner over the course of 40 minutes against the Owls, who would love nothing more than to spoil the party.
“Pleased, but not satisfied,” said coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, of his team’s effort. “I will always be pleased with a win, but I am not satisfied because I thought there were areas for us to take the next steps as a team. We have to take those steps and be better. We can’t have 15 turnovers on our home court.”
The win over the Golden Hurricane extended the team record for consecutive conference victories to 10, which also marks the program’s second-longest streak. Lee Rose’s 1980-81 squad won 12 in a row. It all adds up to a buzz growing louder and louder at USF.
Read: USF Reveals Renderings Of On-Campus Stadium Expected To Be Completed For 2027 Season
“We love being on campus, we love being around our fans, but when you get pats on the back all day, it can cause you to become complacent,” said Abdur-Rahim. “They did a great job of fighting that (against Tulsa) and I think they would be lying if they said they weren’t thinking about Sunday. But they did a great job of being where their feet were.”
That should not come as a surprise. After all, Abdur-Rahim’s team is a largely veteran squad that includes five players – Kasean Pryor, Kobe Knox, Chris Youngblood, Brandon Stroud, and Kasen Jennings – with NCAA tournament experience.
As for Sunday, well, it will be quite a day against an FAU team that has been ranked as high as seventh this season after going to the final four last spring. The Bulls feel they will be in good shape if they take care of the details.
“What we have to make sure we do a great job of Sunday is focusing on us,” said Abdur-Rahim. “We have to be the best version of ourselves. If we focus on being the best version of ourselves at home, we will be right where we want to be.”
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