Carlton, Gilbert lead UConn to 60-58 win over South Florida

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Josh Carlton scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds as UConn held off South Florida 60-58 on Sunday.

Alterique Gilbert added 15 for the Huskies (14-15, 5-11 American), who won despite failing to make a 3-point basket for the first time in more than nine years and 338 consecutive games.

David Collins had 17 points and Alexis Yetna added 15 for USF (18-11, 7-9 American), which had a chance to win or send the game into overtime.

But the Bulls long inbounds pass with 2.6 seconds left was intercepted by Gilbert, who had just made one of two free throws.

UConn had led 59-56 before Sidney Wilson fouled Collins on a 3-point attempt from the right wing with just 3.5 seconds left.

He missed the second of his three foul shots.

South Florida trailed for much of the game, but took a 48-46 lead on a 3-pointer from Laquincy Rideau with just over 6 minutes to play. That capped a 9-0 USF run that saw the Bulls hold UConn without a field goal for more than seven minutes.

The Huskies shot under 39 percent for the game, and missed all 15 of their shots from behind the arc. But USF made just 33 percent of its shots (19 of 58), and was just 3 of 19 on 3-pointers.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak for UConn, which had not won since star Jalen Adams suffered a knee injury in the first half of a loss to Temple on Feb. 6.

BIG PICTURE

South Florida: The Bulls lead Division I in free throw attempts (808) and made 17 of 22 attempts against the Huskies.

UConn: The Huskies retired the No. 34 of Ray Allen during a halftime ceremony. Allen joins former women’s player Rebecca Lobo as the only two players in the school’s history to have their numbers put in the rafters. Lobo has a similar ceremony on Saturday. The school has just one criterion for retiring numbers — enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“It’s a special place,” Allen said. “It’s the reason that I continue to always come back. I want these young kids to understand that it’s a privilege to play here.”

UP NEXT

South Florida: The Bulls travel to New Orleans to take on Tulane

UConn: The Huskies play their final home game of the season on Thursday night against Temple.