TAMPA, Fla. – Isaiah Bailey led Bethune-Cookman with 19 points but the Wildcats could not keep pace in the second half as BCU (5-6) fell to South Florida, 83-63, at the Sun Dome.
The first half was tightly contested with a 36-35 USF (5-6) lead at the break, but the Bulls shot 57% in the second half and for the game went 16-21 at the free throw line. The Wildcats went from a 15-29 shooting performance in the second half to 10-30 in the latter.

Houston Smith chipped in 12 points and Soufiyane Diakite was a rebound away from his second double-double of the year with 11 points and nine boards.                                                                                                                                                                                           

Both sides were timid offensively to start, as BCU gained its first lead, 8-7, on a Bailey layup at 15:40. The lead for either side never ventured more than a basket until Malik Maitland's alley-oop to Bailey at 8:31 made it a 26-22 Wildcat lead.
The Bulls answered with an 8-0 run capitalized by Payton Banks' three at 5:01. BCU held its last lead of the game on a Bailey free throw with 1:17 remaining and a 35-32 edge, but the hosts took the lead for good on an Isaiah Manderson lay-in with 27 seconds.

Each side traded jabs to open the second half until USF went on a 9-0 run and grabbed a 61-48 lead with Banks' and-1 at 11:11.

Each team put together 14 offensive rebounds, but USF gathered in 10 more on the defensive end. The Bulls had five players score in double-figures, led by Stephan Jiggetts' 20 points.

BCU continues its four-game road trip with a 7 p.m. start Saturday, Dec. 16, at Kennesaw State.