Freshman guard Jahmal McMurray scored 21 points to help South Florida snap a four-game losing streak with a 69-52 victory over East Carolina on Tuesday in American Athletic Conference play at Greenville, N.C.

Senior guard Nehemias Morillo added 18 points for the Bulls (6-21, 3-11 American), who won for only the third time in 16 games. Senior center Jaleel Cousins had 10 points and 11 rebounds to help South Florida record a 44-30 edge on the boards.

Junior guard Caleb White scored 13 points for the Pirates (10-16, 2-11), who have lost five consecutive games and 11 of their past 13. Freshman guard Kentrell Barkley added 10 points and seven rebounds for East Carolina, which shot 34 percent from the field and made only nine of 19 free throws.

Bulls junior forward Chris Perry returned after serving a six-game suspension for violating team rules. He scored six points on 2-of-10 shooting and collected eight rebounds in 21 minutes.

Perry's jumper with 8:01 to play began a decisive 12-0 surge for South Florida. Morillo scored five points during the run, including a 3-pointer with 4:14 to go. Cousins followed with a tip-in 25 seconds later to culminate the stretch, giving the Bulls a 65-48 lead.

The Pirates were within 44-41 after a basket by Barkley with 13:25 to play before McMurray made a 3-pointer and two free throws during a 7-1 run that gave the Bulls a nine-point lead with 10:34 to play. East Carolina's deficit was five after Barkley split two free throws with 9:07 left, but the Pirates missed their next nine field-goal attempts while South Florida was rolling off 12 consecutive points.

East Carolina scored the first five points of the contest before the Bulls went on an 18-4 burst to take a nine-point advantage. The Pirates pulled within three on a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Lance Tejada with 6:42 left in the half, but South Florida pushed its lead back up to eight and settled for a 35-30 advantage at the break.