By The USF Bulls continued their dominance in AAC play Wednesday night, earning a hard-fought road win over Wichita State 66-58.
Coupled with the Tulsa loss, the Bulls are alone in first place in the American Conference at 9-3, one game ahead of Tulsa.
The first half belonged to Wichita State, as the Shockers built a 33-26 halftime lead.
USF had 12 turnovers in the first half and were outrebounded 9-4 on the offensive end, but trailed by just seven at the half.
The Bulls did not have a great half shooting the basketball, as they shot 37 percent from the floor and were just 1-for-8 from three-point range.
However, in the second half, USF came out and took immediate control of the game
The Bulls slowly clawed their way back by eliminating turnovers, hitting the offensive glass, and making some tough baskets.
With Wichita State leading 42-40, Wes Enis hit a three-pointer that gave USF a 43-42 lead with 14:55 to play in the game.
A key stretch in the second half saw USF go on an 11-1 run, taking a 54-49 lead. USF would never be threatened the rest of the game as the Bulls won their third game in a row 66-58.
The Bulls’ defense was smothering in the second half.
After a decent first half offensively for Wichita State, the Bulls’ defense went to work in the second half and held Wichita State to 32 percent shooting for the game, and Wichita State would end the night 6/29 on three-point attempts.
Wes Enis had his most complete game this season, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.
Izaiyah Nelson had another dominating game inside, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds, and seven steals, disrupting the Shockers’ offensive rhythm and creating transition opportunities for the Bulls.
The seven steals in a game were the most by a USF player this season.
This was by far the most complete effort we have seen from the Bulls this season, both offensively and defensively, as they held Wichita State to 6/29 from three-point range, and the Shockers made just 2 of their last 18 shot attempts.
Forward Isiah Jones was another USF player who did not have many stats on the score sheet, but was a huge factor with his defensive play and the dirty work needed to help USF get this tough road win.
Jones played 17 minutes and made huge contributions to the USF defensive effort, especially in the second half.
After getting outrebounded in the first half, the Bulls finished the game with a 44-37 advantage.
USF also outscored Wichita State 40-25 in the second half, erasing a seven-point deficit.
The 25 points allowed by USF are the second fewest points the Bulls have allowed in a half this season.
With the win, the Bulls now own a three-game winning streak and have created some serious momentum as they enter the final third of the season.
The Bulls are 17-8 overall, and 9-3 in conference play.
UP NEXT
-The Bulls will play at FAU Sunday Afternoon. Tipoff is 2 PM and will be nationally televised by ESPN2.
