The University of South Florida Bulls men's basketball team was denied a second consecutive opportunity to win their fourth game of the season Sunday afternoon, losing to Penn State in a low-scoring affair, 53-49, in their second game of the 2011 Basketball Hall Of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. With the loss, the Bulls fall to 3-2 on the young season.
The hot-shooting Tim Frazier scored 27 of the Nittany Lions' 53 points on 8-of-15 from the floor, 1-of-3 from 3-point range and 10-of-15 from the foul line. The remainder of Penn State's starters scored a total of five points on 1-of-11 shooting from the field. Both teams struggled in the assist-to-turnover department, as USF totaled 19 turnovers to only four assists and Penn State managed only five assists, but committed five fewer turnovers than the Bulls.
None of the Bulls' starters scored in double digits, though bench players Blake Nash and Toarlyn Fitzpatrick scored 11 and 14 points respectively. Fitzpatrick also had 10 of the team's 27 total rebounds. Penn State shot 37 percent to USF's 34 percent from the field. Both teams shot a measly 25 percent from 3-point range. The Bulls shot a better percentage from the free throw line with more attempts, but were unable to overcome Frazier's hot-shooting game.
The Bulls will again look to hit win number four on the season Wednesday against the Georgia Southern Eagles.
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