The Bulls fought hard against the Gators in their season opener, hitting the court for the second time just 11 days after the death of head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim.

Interim head coach Ben Fletcher, who was appointed one week ago, led USF as it finished the first half with a slim lead before ultimately slipping to a 98-83 loss against No. 21 Florida.

The game was played in VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville as part of the Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational.

Related: USF announces Ben Fletcher as men’s basketball interim head coach

From the tipoff, USF took command, setting a tone that put Florida on its heels.

A minute in, redshirt junior Kobe Knox sank a 3-pointer off a pass from graduate guard Brandon Stroud, putting the Bulls up 3-0.

Moments later, Knox electrified the crowd with an alley-oop dunk on a fast break, pushing USF ahead 5-2.

The Bulls’ aggressive pace kept them in control through most of the first half, with graduate guard Kasen Jennings and Stroud making key plays to extend the Bulls lead.

Florida fought back, tying the game at 9-9, but USF answered immediately.

Graduate guard Quincy Ademokoya and redshirt sophomore Jimmie Williams both sank three-pointers, lifting USF to 17-16.

Midway through the half, USF’s defense locked in, forcing turnovers and speeding up Florida’s offense.

This led to fast-break opportunities, with freshman guard C.J. Brown and Knox throwing down huge slam dunks, pushing the Bulls’ lead to 21-16.

Knox continued to control the game, snagging rebounds and scoring points off Florida’s mistakes. By the first timeout, USF held a solid 28-20 lead.

As the half wound down, Florida tightened its defense, capitalizing on a few USF turnovers.

Key buckets from senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. and sophomore center Alex Condon closed the gap, setting up a tight game heading into halftime with USF clinging to a 40-39 lead.

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The second half opened with both teams struggling on missed shots and opportunities caused by turnovers.

Senior forward Jamille Reynolds had an early miss, but made up for it with a layup, putting the Bulls ahead 42-41.

Florida responded with aggressive defense, forcing turnovers and capitalizing with a layup by Clayton Jr., then added another with senior guard Will Richard’s fast-break layup after a steal.

Despite strong shooting from Knox and Reynolds, the Bulls struggled to match the Gators’ offensive surge.

Knox’s 14 points on five-of-nine shooting, including two-of-five beyond the arc and Reynold’s team-high 17 points showed South Florida’s efforts.

Florida, however, kept up its own momentum, outscoring USF 50-26 in the paint and took advantage of turnovers to get 24 points off errors.

The Gators’ offense proved too strong as the game wound down, and they sealed the win.

USF will face off against Charleston on the road 7 p.m. Friday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited.