USF basketball nearly erased a massive deficit in March Madness, but cold 3-point shooting early proved too much to overcome in a loss to Louisville.

USF basketball left the NCAA Tournament with plenty of fight, just not quite enough time.

The Bulls dropped an 83-79 loss to Louisville on Thursday, and the game will sting because of how close they came to pulling off one of the wildest comebacks of the opening round. South Florida looked buried when Louisville pushed the lead past 20 in the second half, but the Bulls kept swinging, turned up the pressure, and made the Cardinals sweat all the way to the final moments.

READ MORE: Valspar Championship 2026 Preview: Johnny’s Winning Picks For Copperhead Chaos

That’s what made the ending so brutal. USF’s late surge showed exactly how dangerous this team could be when it played with pace, pressure, and belief. But the hole was dug much earlier, and it was dug from the 3-point line.

South Florida simply couldn’t buy a perimeter shot for most of the night. The Bulls missed 20 of their first 21 attempts from deep, an icy stretch that wrecked their rhythm and let Louisville settle into the game. In March, that kind of shooting slump can destroy even the best game plan. USF still found a way to make things interesting, which says a lot about the toughness of this group.

Joseph Pinion was the clear offensive star, pouring in 27 points and giving the Bulls the kind of shot-making punch they badly needed. He kept attacking, kept firing, and helped fuel the rally that nearly flipped the game on its head. But the early misses forced South Florida to chase points for too long, and Louisville made just enough plays to survive.

READ MORE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Rely on Alex Anzalone as Lavonte David Decision Looms Large

The frustrating part is that USF finally found the pressure and urgency that bothered the Cardinals late. Louisville had obvious trouble handling chaos, especially with starting point guard Mikel Brown Jr. unavailable, and the Bulls exploited that by making every possession uncomfortable in the closing stretch.

Still, moral victories don’t live long in March. USF basketball battled, responded, and nearly authored a stunning comeback, but the brutal start from 3-point range proved too much to overcome. The Bulls showed heart. They just ran out of runway.