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USF Surges Past DePaul For 2nd Big East Victory

Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Junior guard Chris Howard added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists.

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 21, 2009

TAMPA - At least one thing is certain about the University of South Florida this season: the Bulls own one Big East team.

The Bulls won their second game in 10 days against DePaul on Tuesday night with a 70-61 victory at the Sun Dome before an announced crowd of 3,323.

USF sophomore Dominique Jones scored the Bulls' first 10 points on his way to a game-high 26.

USF (7-11, 2-5 Big East) is 2-0 against DePaul and 5-11 against the rest of its schedule. The Bulls won 80-58 at DePaul on Jan. 10.

Jones added 10 rebounds and six assists as the Bulls pulled within one of last year's conference victory total. USF was 3-15 in the Big East last season, and the sweep of DePaul gave it its second victory in Big East play.

"I don't want to talk about that," USF coach Stan Heath said, joking. "We want to get more than that. This was one game where we lost the lead, but we were able to overcome that and get the win."

USF freshman Gus Gilchrist (16 points, a career-high 11 rebounds) backed up Jones' effort with his first career double-double. Junior guard Chris Howard added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists.

"I thought Dominique showed some leadership and some toughness," Heath said. "His teammates fed off him and Gus."

For the second time, the Bulls dominated the Blue Demons on the boards. USF outrebounded DePaul 48-28 on Tuesday night after outrebounding DePaul by 18 in the first contest.

Even without second-leading scorer Jesus Verdejo, who didn't play because of a concussion suffered at West Virginia on Saturday, the Bulls quickly took control of the rematch and built a 12-point lead late in the first half. However, DePaul cut USF's 35-23 lead to 35-28 at halftime.

The Blue Demons opened the second half on a 14-2 run to take a 42-37 lead.

USF pulled even at 42 only to watch the Blue Demons go back on top, 47-42. The Bulls rallied again with a 10-0 run for a 52-47 lead with 9:27 remaining. DePaul came back with six consecutive points for a 53-52 edge.

Neither team led by more than four points until the final 3:30, when USF closed the game on a 10-5 run.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928.

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