ANNAPOLIS, Md. – In a game where every point and possession mattered, the Saint Joseph's men's basketball team rallied from an early deficit to defeat the South Florida Bulls, 83-80, at the Veterans Classic on Wednesday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game got off to a rough start for the Hawks as South Florida scored the first 12 points. After scoring its first point at the line, St. Joe's got three-pointers from BJ Ranson and Owen Verna, combined with layups by Khaafiq Myers and Austin Williford, cutting the lead to 16-11 at the under-12 media timeout.
- Continuing the charge, a putback layup from Sean Logan and a drive to the cup from Jaiden Glover-Toscano closed the game to a single point midway through the half. Defense keyed the stretch as the Hawks forced six Bulls turnovers in a span of 5:36.
- Saint Joseph's took a brief lead on a pair of Logan free throws, but the Bulls scored five of the next seven to go on top 34-32. The Hawks had the final word, however, netting seven consecutive points, taking a 39-34 lead at the break. SJU forced 13 USF turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
- The Hawks continued to play well into the second half, opening on an 11-3 run to extend the lead to 50-37 on a layup by Myers four minutes into the half. SJU maintained a double-digit lead until consecutive triples for the Bulls forced a St. Joe's timeout with the Hawks up 64-56 midway through the frame.
- USF did not go away and found its shot from three-point range, closing the gap to 79-78 on an old-fashioned three-point play with 3:19 remaining. On the ensuing possession, Saint Joseph's missed a trey, but Williford picked off a pass on the South Florida outlet. Given a second opportunity, Ranson delivered his sixth triple of the night, providing the eventual winning margin.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Ranson scored a career-high 21 points, going 6-for-9 from beyond the arc.
- Myers was also in double figures with 15 points.
- Logan Carey scored eight and pulled in four rebounds.
- Williford had nine points, five boards and four assists.
- Mekai Johnson had personal bests with six points and three steals, including a key three-pointer with less than five minutes to go.
- Owen Verna netted six, hitting a pair of treys.
- As a team, St. Joe's forced 23 USF turnovers, had nine blocks and 12 steals.
UP NEXT
The Hawks return to Hagan Arena on Saturday, November 14, hosting Penn for their first Philadelphia Big 5 game of the season. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with the game to air on ESPN+.
Tickets for Saint Joseph's 2026–27 season are on sale now at
sjuhawks.com/tickets or by calling
610-660-3319.
