South Florida earns berth in the Roman College Basketball Invitational Finals

South Florida used a 22-7 run to start the second half to capture a 56-47 win over Loyola Marymount and a spot in the best-of-three Finals of the Roman College Basketball Invitational, which begins Monday in Tampa.

With the score tied at 22-all at the intermission, the Bulls came out of the chute with a 22-7 run over the first 8:55 of the second half to take a 44-29 lead at the second media timeout. USF was led by Laquincy Rideau, who scored all nine of his points during that run.

After the timeout, LMU fought back with a 13-1 run of its own over the next 6:49 to cut the margin to 45-42 with 4:18 to play in the game. David Collins stopped the onslaught with a lay-up and foul shot to make it 48-42, a margin that would not be lost.

In a game that was a defensive battle throughout, USF’s Alexis Yetna (pictured) led the Bulls with game highs of 11 points and 11 rebounds. Collins also netted 11 points for USF, which outscored the Lions 15-2 at the foul line. The win was the 22nd of the season for USF, tying the school record.

James Batemon, Mattias Markusson, and Erik Johansson all scored nine points for LMU, with Markusson also hauling down seven rebounds.

The Roman CBI Finals best-of-three series begins on Monday, April 1 in Tampa and continues in Chicago on Wednesday, April 3 and Friday, April 5 (if necessary). The Finals will air on ESPNU with Roy Philpott and Tim McCormick calling the action.

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About the Gazelle Group
The College Basketball Invitational is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper, the Sunshine Slam, and the Gotham Classic. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com