Bulls halt slide, roll past Auburn

Even without its second leading scorer, the University of South Florida had no trouble ending its two-game losing skid.

Jarrid Famous, who missed Sunday's game against Kent State with an illness, came off the bench to score a team-high 15 points, Hugh Robertson also reached double figures with 12 and the Bulls knocked off Auburn, 61-49, Wednesday night at the Sun Dome.

Mike Burwell had nine points off the bench and Ron Anderson Jr. and Jawanza Poland each chipped in eight as the Bulls didn't miss a beat without Augustus Gilchrist, who missed his second consecutive game while sorting out what Coach Stan Heath described as "philosophical differences." Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, in the starting lineup against in place of Gilchrist, finished with six points and nine rebounds.

USF, which has struggled shooting the ball this season, shot 45 percent in the first half despite suffering through a near seven minute stretch without a field goal. The Bulls had a 17-6 lead at the 12:48 mark after Anderson (12 rebounds) tipped in a Famous missed free throw but watched it disappear after suffering through the scoring lull, during which time Auburn used a 13-0 run to take the lead.

However, an Anthony Crater-to-Jawanza Poland alley-oop at the 5:59 mark sparked an 11-1 Bulls run, and USF was on the verge of taking an eight-point lead into the break before Frankie Sullivan completed a 4-point play with one second remaining after being fouled on a 3-pointer.

The Bulls wasted little time taking control of the game in the second half. Robertson scored seven of his points in the first three and a half minutes out of the break to help USF build a 36-28 lead, and Poland capped a 10-4 run with a bucket at the 7:47 mark, which gave the Bulls a 49-37 lead.

The Tigers never got closer than nine the rest of the way as USF pushed its lead to as many as 15 in wrapping up its fifth straight win at the Sun Dome.

The Bulls return to the court Saturday at home against James Madison.