After an abysmal first half that included 20 percent shooting from the field, the California Golden Bears were able to provide a semblance of a team that could actually compete for a spot in the 2012 NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. Unfortunately that wasn't enough, as the Bears fell to the South Florida Bulls, 65-54.
The Bulls picked up their first-ever victory in the NCAA Tournament with the 11-point victory, which was never in doubt. South Florida made just two shots and two free throws in the final seven minutes and didn't sweat it at all. Victor Rudd Jr. led the way with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Anthony Collins picked up only two points in the second half to finish with 12 points.
The Bears outscored the Bulls in the second half, 41-29, thanks to Harper Kamp and his 19 points. Jorge Gutierrez and Allen Crabbe added 11 and 10 points, respectively, but the team reached just 36.8 percent shooting from the field.
The No. 12 Bulls have advanced to face the No. 5 Temple Owls on Friday.
For more on the two teams, head to USF Bulls blog Voodoo Five and Cal Bears blog California Golden Blogs. For more coverage from this end of the bracket, keep it on our NCAA Tournament Midwest Region StoryStream. Stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and more.
