TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — A dominant first-half shooting display and a balanced offensive attack propelled South Florida to an 82-71 victory over East Carolina in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at the Sun Dome.

A crowd of 3,790 watched the Bulls improve to 11-6 overall and 2-2 in conference play, while the Pirates fell to 5-12 and 0-4.

The game was decided in the opening 20 minutes, as South Florida built a commanding 44-31 halftime lead it would never relinquish. The Bulls connected on 8 of 17 attempts from three-point range in the first half, consistently finding open shooters against the East Carolina defense. South Florida’s ball movement and defensive pressure created a decisive gap, as they assisted on seven of their 10 first-half field goals while forcing seven Pirates turnovers.

Josh Omojafo, a guard from Hamilton, Canada, set the early tone for South Florida. He scored 13 of his team-high 18 points before halftime, including a pair of three-pointers. His backcourt mate, Wes Enis of Conover, Ohio, orchestrated the offense with precision, finishing with 14 points and a game-high five assists. Their backcourt combination consistently broke down the Pirates’ defense, creating opportunities both inside and out.

East Carolina, despite a valiant 25-point effort from guard Jordan Riley of Brentwood, New York, could not overcome its slow start and persistent offensive struggles. The Pirates shot just 41 percent from the field for the game and a frigid 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. Their offensive woes were compounded by a stark disparity in ball security and creation; East Carolina managed only four assists against 10 turnovers, while South Florida posted nine assists against just six giveaways.

The most pivotal stretch of the game came late in the first half. After East Carolina’s Eli DeLaurier hit a three-pointer to cut the South Florida lead to 28-25 with just over eight minutes remaining, the Bulls responded with a decisive 16-6 run to close the period. Omojafo was again at the heart of the surge, scoring seven points during the run, including a three-pointer assisted by Adriel Nyorha that pushed the lead to 38-29. A tip-in by Omojafo at the first-half buzzer sent the Bulls into the locker room with a 13-point advantage and full momentum.

South Florida’s interior presence provided a perfect complement to its perimeter shooting. Izaiyah Nelson, a 6-foot-10 forward from Marietta, Georgia, scored 14 points, often finishing emphatically at the rim, while also contributing defensively with a block and a steal. The Bulls’ depth was on full display as guard CJ Brown added 12 points and three assists, and Devin Haid chipped in 11 points, all in the first half, on 3-of-5 shooting from deep.

East Carolina’s primary bright spot was the interior play of center Giovanni Emejuru. The 6-foot-10 junior from Leicester, England, recorded a double-double with 17 points and six blocked shots, altering countless other attempts in the paint. His defensive presence kept the Pirates within striking distance, but the team’s offensive inefficiency—embodied by an offensive rating of just 94.8 points per 100 possessions—prevented any sustained comeback.

The Pirates did show fight after halftime, cutting the deficit to nine points on several occasions. A driving layup by Riley made it 68-59 with just over five minutes to play, but South Florida answered immediately. On the ensuing possession, Enis found Nelson for a layup, and after an East Carolina miss, Enis drilled a three-pointer to push the lead back to 14 and effectively seal the game.

South Florida’s defense was relentless, matching its season average with nine steals. Enis and Brown led that effort with three and two steals, respectively, consistently disrupting East Carolina’s offensive flow. The Bulls also won the battle on the glass, securing 10 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points.

For East Carolina, the loss extends a difficult start to conference play, with all four defeats coming by double digits. They will look to regroup Sunday when they host Charlotte. South Florida, which entered the game as an 18.5-point favorite and exceeded the projected point total, will aim to build on this performance when they welcome Wichita State to the Sun Dome on Sunday.