TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — Wichita State outlasted South Florida 86-85 in overtime Sunday in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball game at the Sun Dome. The Shockers, who led 37-36 at halftime, saw the Bulls force overtime with a 41-point second half. Wichita State then secured the one-point victory by scoring nine points in the extra period. South Florida, which entered as a 7.5-point favorite, was led by a strong fastbreak effort but fell short. The loss dropped the Bulls to 11-7 overall, while Wichita State improved to 11-8. Attendance was 4,544.

TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — In a game defined by its final, frantic seconds, Wichita State edged South Florida 86-85 in overtime Sunday in a pivotal American Athletic Conference clash that saw the lead change hands five times in the extra period. The Shockers, who led for over 37 minutes of regulation, found themselves trailing 85-83 with under a minute to play in overtime after South Florida’s CJ Brown converted a driving layup. Wichita State’s Kenyon Giles answered immediately, slicing through the lane for a layup to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, South Florida’s Wes Enis turned the ball over under pressure from Giles, giving the Shockers a chance to win. The sequence that followed encapsulated the game’s tense, back-and-forth nature. Wichita State worked the ball to Karon Boyd in the post, but his hook shot missed. South Florida’s Joseph Pinion secured the defensive rebound, only to have the Bulls call a timeout with 13 seconds left while trapped in the corner. Out of the timeout, South Florida’s inbounds pass was deflected, leading to a held ball. The possession arrow favored Wichita State. With 3 seconds left, the Shockers’ Will Berg was fouled on a put-back attempt and sent to the line for two shots. The 7-foot-2 center from Stockholm, Sweden, missed the first free throw. After a South Florida timeout intended to ice him, he also missed the second, but the Bulls could not secure the rebound as time expired, sealing the one-point victory for the visitors. The dramatic finish capped a contest where neither team led by more than nine points. Wichita State improved to 11-8 overall, while South Florida fell to 11-7. The Shockers built their early advantage on hot three-point shooting, connecting on 12 of 23 attempts from beyond the arc. Giles, a 5-foot-10 guard from Chesapeake, Virginia, led Wichita State with 22 points, including four three-pointers. Michael Gray added 15 points off the bench, all from three-point range, and Boyd contributed 17 points and seven rebounds. South Florida was powered by a game-high 21 points from Joseph Pinion of Morrilton, Arkansas. Josh Omojafo of Hamilton, Canada, added 17 points and eight rebounds, while CJ Brown of Marietta, Georgia, orchestrated the offense with 16 points and eight assists. Wichita State took a 37-36 lead into halftime and extended it early in the second period. South Florida responded with a 12-2 run, fueled by transition play that yielded 23 fastbreak points for the game. The Bulls took their first lead since the opening minutes at 48-47 and the teams traded blows down the stretch of regulation. With the score tied at 77 and 28 seconds left in the second half, South Florida’s Omojafo was fouled and made both free throws. Wichita State’s Gray answered with a stepback jumper to retie the game. After a South Florida turnover, the Shockers had a chance to win in regulation, but Gray’s three-point attempt was blocked by Pinion, sending the game to overtime. In the extra period, South Florida scored the first four points from the free-throw line, but Wichita State chipped away, setting the stage for the final sequence. A critical three-pointer from Dre Kindell of Cincinnati, Ohio, with 2:24 left kept the Shockers within striking distance before the final exchange. Wichita State won despite being outshot from the free-throw line, where South Florida went 17 for 22 compared to the Shockers’ 14 for 23. The Shockers compensated with superior rebounding, holding a 52-41 overall advantage and a dominant 17-10 edge on the offensive glass, leading to 19 second-chance points. Berg was instrumental in that effort, pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds. The victory snapped a two-game road losing streak for Wichita State in conference play. South Florida, which had been installed as a 7.5-point favorite, saw its two-game winning streak end. Wichita State next hosts East Carolina on Wednesday. South Florida travels to face UAB on Thursday.

Preview: Wichita State at South Florida TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The South Florida Bulls, riding a three-game winning streak, will host the Wichita State Shockers in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball matchup Sunday at the Yuengling Center. The Bulls (11-6, 3-1 AAC) have found momentum in league play, most recently defeating East Carolina 82-71 on Wednesday. Sophomore guard Josh Omojafo has been a catalyst, averaging 13.7 points over his last six games. He scored 18 points with four assists in the win over ECU. Wichita State (10-8, 1-3) looks to rebound from an 85-67 road loss at Florida Atlantic on Thursday. The Shockers have lost four of their last five, with the lone win a 78-67 victory over North Texas on Jan. 11. Guard Dre Kindell, who scored 12 points against FAU, will be a key backcourt presence for the visitors. South Florida’s conference success has been bolstered by strong play from Wes Enis and Izaiyah Nelson, who combined for 28 points against ECU. The Bulls’ offense has averaged 86.3 points during their current win streak. The Shockers have struggled defensively in AAC play, allowing an average of 80.5 points in their four conference games. They will need improved perimeter defense to contain Omojafo and the Bulls’ balanced attack. This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season. They will meet again in Wichita on Feb. 11. Sunday’s contest tips off at 12 p.m. EST. South Florida will look to solidify its standing near the top of the AAC, while Wichita State aims to climb back to .500 in league play and halt its recent skid.