Reid’s buzzer-beater gives USF 73-72 victory over Wright State in MBI third-place game

CONWAY, S.C. (November 24, 2024) – South Florida interim coach Ben Fletcher gave point guard Jayden Reid the green light, and Reid made sure his coach didn’t regret the decision.

With the Bulls trailing Wright State 72-71 and only 6 seconds to play, Reid received the inbounds pass and sprinted full-speed downcourt. When he was cut off from a direct path to the basket, Reid drifted into the right corner and drained an 18-foot jumper, giving USF a 73-72 victory in the third-place game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational.

“Once I caught the ball, I thought Coach Fletch was going to call timeout (to draw up a play), but he told me just to go,” said Reid, who scored a team-high 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. “He had confidence in me to just make a play at the end of the game. I tried to get to the basket, but Wright State played great defense. So I stepped back, created some space, and made the shot.”

The Raiders trailed 71-68 with only 34 seconds left. But Wright State guard Jack Doumbia, who finished with a game-high 18 points, wrapped two baskets around a bad pass turnover by USF, giving the Raiders the one-point lead that Reid quickly wiped away.

“In that type of situation – 6 seconds left, a shifty point guard has a full head of steam – the last thing you want to do is give up a layup,” Wright State coach Clint Sargent said. “So to give up a contested fadeaway jumper, you live with it. You can’t do much else. … The kid makes a play, and you tip your hat.”

While Reid’s shot might have been the official game-winner, in many ways, the contest was won by the defense the Bulls played on Wright State forward Brandon Noel. After averaging 26.5 points in the Raiders’ first two MBI games, Noel managed only 5 points on 1-of-7 shooting against USF.

“We knew he demanded attention, so he saw multiple bodies (on defense),” Fletcher said. “Our guys knew the plan, and they stuck to it. They did an incredible job. It was a team effort because it wasn’t just one guy guarding him all night.”

While the Bulls return home with a third-place showing in the Myrtle Beach Invitational, Fletcher said they were close to winning the entire tournament if not for allowing Middle Tennessee to outscore them 51-33 in the first half of their second-round matchup. USF battled back and pulled to within 3 points in that game before fading in the final minutes.

“I think we were 20 minutes short of being the champions,” Fletcher said. “After halftime against Middle Tennessee, our guys showed who they are in the second half, which spilled over into today. These are resilient guys. I’m so proud of the fight they gave.”