TAMPA, Fla. – It was too little too late for the Shockers as South Florida led wire-to-wire, defeating Wichita State, 79-57, Tuesday evening in the Yuengling Center.
 
South Florida's Romi Levy scored 28 points, helping the Bulls lead by as many as 35 in their bounce-back victory.
 
Three Shockers finished in double figures with Salese Blow, Sierra Morrow and Jayla Murray all putting up 11 points apiece, Blow's 10^th-consecutive game in double figures.
 
Daniela Abies tied for a game-high 8 rebounds, and DJ McCarty scored her most points since Dec. 4 with eight and dished out five assists.
 
Despite finishing the game on a 12-2 run and winning the fourth quarter, 22-12, the Shockers were unable to overcome the deficit after falling behind, 25-6 in the first quarter.
 
Wichita State was out-rebounded 28-11 in the first half and 46-28 overall and has now fallen in 11 out of the 12 games in which it was out-rebounded.
 
South Florida opened the game on an 11-0 run, hitting three three-pointers and forcing five Shocker turnovers in the first quarter.
 
Blow scored the Shockers' first points of the game, hitting a three almost five minutes into the game as Wichita State shot just 2-for-14 (.143) in the first.
 
South Florida extended its lead to 25 before halftime and opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run.
 
Blow and Morrow, each with back-to-back buckets tried to cut into the Bulls' lead, but the Shockers committed seven fouls, and Levy went 7-for-8 from the line in the third quarter (11-for-12 overall), and Wichita State couldn't come closer than 27 until the final quarter.
 
The Shockers opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0, cutting the deficit to 22, with Aniya Bell and Morrow each hitting a three to spark some momentum.
 
Murray and McCarty each scored six points in the fourth quarter before Murray fouled out with less than a minute remaining, but the Bulls had a big enough buffer to outlast Wichita State.
 
The Shockers return home to take on Tulsa Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.