USF’s 85-69 home-opening win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff took an intense turn when a heated scuffle erupted in the first half of the game.

Golden Lions junior guard Zach Reinhart shoved Bulls junior forward De’Ante Green after a play along the sidelines, triggering a bench-clearing confrontation. 

As Green tried to get up, Reinhart escalated tensions by pushing him again, leading to the tussle and three players being ejected.

Bulls players CJ Brown and Jimmie Williams received ejections for leaving the bench, while Reinhart was escorted out following a flagrant foul.

Even though it was Ben Fletcher’s first win as interim head coach, he said the team played choppy after the ejections

“When the play happened, when the guys got ejected, I thought that challenged the game,” he said.

The matchup, already charged with emotion, followed the unveiling of the new Amir Abdur-Rahim Student Section, honoring the late coach who died Oct. 24.

With fans chanting “AAR” in tribute, the Bulls took the court, visibly energized by the crowd’s support.

“Man, his fingerprint is all over this program,” Fletcher said about the late coach’s impact. “Nothing will change.”

Related: USF’s SoFlo Rodeo remembers Abdur-Rahim: ‘Made us proud to be a Bull’

Right from tip-off, South Florida made a statement.

Graduate guard Brandon Stroud sent the crowd into a roar following an electrifying dunk, causing the Golden Lions to call a timeout just 35 seconds into the game. 

Shortly after, Stroud continued his impact, nailing the first 3-pointer of the game and creating a turnover on defense, keeping fans in a frenzy.

The Golden Lions responded with a layup from freshman guard Raphael Dumont, closing the gap to 12-6 with the Bulls in the lead.

South Florida answered immediately with a long range 3-pointer from graduate guard Quincy Ademokoya.

Just a few moments later, the fight ensued.

After the ejections, both teams regrouped, snagging multiple turnovers and scoring multiple points extending the score to a 20-11 USF lead.

As the half progressed, the Bulls’ defense forced another turnover, leading to a fast break that ended with a pinpoint 3-pointer from graduate guard Kasen Jennings.

With each big play, the student section roared louder.

Green, who transferred from Florida State this past offseason, said the energy was great in the Yuengling Center.

“My first game in the YC, I loved it,” Green said. “I loved the SoFlo Rodeo, I loved the energy.”

The Bulls closed the first half with a 50-34 lead setting the stage for an intense second half, with the momentum in their favor.

Related: USF men’s basketball falls in season opener against Florida

The second half of the game between USF and Arkansas-Pine Bluff began with both teams struggling to find their rhythm, missing shots and turning the ball over.

“We had some lapses in the second half that we could bounce back from, but you know, we came back together as a team,” redshirt junior guard Kobe Knox said in the post game conference.

Eventually graduate guard Kasen Jennings drained a stepback jumper over the heads of the Golden Lions defense. His basket helped steady the Bulls’ offense, maintaining their control.

From there, USF capitalized on the momentum, with Ademokoya adding another 3-pointer, and Green contributing a fast break layup to extend the lead further.

Despite Golden Lions’ efforts led by the junior guard Dante Sawyer’s game leading 24 points, USF kept the pressure on, never allowing the gap to close.

With strong defensive rebounds and key shots from Green and Reid in the final minutes, the Bulls maintained a comfortable lead, securing the win.

USF continued its dominance in the turnover and rebound margins, totaling four and 21, respectively.

At the end of the game with three seconds remaining, Reid put the rest of the icing on the cake with a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired.

USF will face off against University of West Georgia 7 p.m. Friday at the Yuengling Center.