Santee shoots Frogs to victory
Frogs top South Florida to earn their first winning record in Conference USA.

The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA - Junior guard Corey Santee scored 25 points, including 13 of his team’s 22 second half points, to lead the Frogs to a 54-51 victory Monday over South Florida in Conference USA basketball.

TCU (9-11, 5-4) used an 11-2 run to start each half and led by as many as 14 points. But South Florida (6-13, 0-8) held TCU scoreless for a 5:38 stretch late in the game, cutting the Horned Frogs’ lead to 50-49 with 3:32 left in regulation.

TCU junior guard Marcus Shropshire ended the Frogs’ drought with a 15- foot jumper to make it 52-49. The Bulls, who never led once in the game, had a chance to tie when Terrence Leather missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The last-second shot was too strong, hitting the back of the iron for a Frogs victory.

Leather led the Bulls with 20 points and nine rebounds. Brian Swift was USF’s only other double-figure scorer with 13 points.

TCU also got double-digits from sophomore forward Chudi Chinweze, who scored 10 points, while freshman center Femi Ibikunle contributed by grabbing nine rebounds.

Senior guard Nucleus Smith struggled offensively, going scoreless, but he added seven rebounds and two assists. Junior forward Aaron Curtis provided seven points off the bench.

Both teams struggled shooting from the floor. The Frogs shot 36 percent on the night and the Bulls shot 39 percent.

With the victory, the Frogs are over .500 in C-USA play for the first time since joining the conference.

TCU 54, SOUTH FLORIDA 51

TCU (9-11, 5-4)

Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Chinweze 4-10 2-2 10, Ibikunle 1-6 1-2 3, Santee 9-18 5-5 25, Shropshire 3-8 2-2 9, Sloan 0-0 0-0 0, Dougherty 0-1 0-0 0, Curtis 3-7 0-0 7, Adams 0-2 0-0 0, Valsin 0-0 0-0 0, Pierce 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-55 10-11 54.

SOUTH FLORIDA (6-13, 0-8)
Mosley 3-14 2-2 8, Leather 6-13 8-12 20, Morris 2-4 0-2 4, Graham 1-3 2-2 4, Swift 5-7 0-0 13, Brigman 1-5 0-0 2, Diarra 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-46 12-18 51.

Halftime—TCU 32-27. 3-pointers—TCU 4-16 (Santee 2-8, Shropshire 1-5, Curtis 1-2, Dougherty 0-1), South Florida 3-11 (Swift 3-5, Mosley 0-5, Leather 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—TCU 33 (Ibikunle 9), South Florida 34 (Leather 9). Assists—TCU 8 (Santee 3), South Florida 8 (Mosley 3, Swift 3). Total Fouls—TCU 18, South Florida 12. Technical Fouls—South Florida coach Robert McCullum. A—2,809.