DeJon Jarreau had 12 points and six assists to lead No. 25 Houston past cold-shooting South Florida, 68-49, in an American Athletic Conference game Sunday in Houston.
Fabian White Jr. had 11 points and Chris Harris Jr. contributed nine points and eight rebounds for the Cougars (16-4, 6-1 AAC), who won their fourth straight game.
South Florida, which shot 37.0 percent overall and just 18.8 percent (3 of 16) from 3-point range, did not have a double-digit scorer. Michael Durr and Antun Maricevic each finished with eight points.
The Bulls (8-12, 1-6) have lost five straight games and eight of their last 10 games. South Florida finished with only eight assists and 15 turnovers.
Marcus Sasser led Houston's defensive effort with three steals. Harris added two blocked shots for the Cougars.
Showing its depth, Houston's top two leading scorers - Caleb Mills and Quentin Grimes - combined for only 17 points. Mills finished with 11 points.
Houston, which has won 11 of its last 12 games, never trailed after taking a 17-16 lead on Grimes' 3-pointer.
After building its halftime lead to 31-23, Houston gained separation in the second half when it scored seven unanswered points to take a 44-28 lead.
Houston is the third ranked team South Florida has played this season. The Bulls dropped to 0-4 on the road.
The Cougars have now beaten the Bulls six consecutive times. In those six wins, Houston has won by an average of 16 points. South Florida's last win in the series came on Jan. 23, 2016, a 71-62 victory.
--Field Level Media
South Florida | Houston | |
Michael Durr 8 | Scoring | Dejon Jarreau 12 |
Xavier Castaneda 3 | Assists | Dejon Jarreau 6 |
Michael Durr 6 | Rebounds | Chris Harris Jr. 8 |
Michael Durr 4 | Free Throws Made | Dejon Jarreau 6 |
Laquincy Rideau 2 | Steals | Marcus Sasser 3 |
N/A | Blocks | Chris Harris Jr. 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
South Florida | 49 | 37.0 | 3-16 | 12-18 | 8 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
Houston | 68 | 41.7 | 5-21 | 13-16 | 12 | 34 | 3 | 6 | 9 |