WICHITA, Kan. - In a key game in the league standings, South Florida edged Wichita State, 66-58, as the Shockers struggled most of the night on the offensive end.

Wichita State (15-10, 7-5) shot 31.7 percent from the floor, missed 23 three-pointers and was outrebounded by seven for the game. After halftime, Wichita State was just 8-for-30 (26.7 percent) from the field and was -12 on the glass.

With both Tulsa and Temple losing in other games across the conference, South Florida stands alone in first, while Wichita State is just one game back of second place. The top two seeds in the conference receive a triple bye all the way to the semifinals.

The Shockers went into halftime with a seven-point lead, but were outscored by 15 in the final 20 minutes.

Kenyon Giles led all scorers with 24 points, but finished just 9-of-22 from the field and 4-of-14 from beyond the arc. His five steals were a season high and tied a career high. Michael Gray Jr. tallied 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. He was 2-for-8 from three-point range. Will Berg recorded his sixth double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Dillon Battie added his second straight game in double figures with 10.

Defensively, Wichita State was solid for much of the night, forcing 18 turnovers and held the Bulls to just 5-of-18 from three-point range. Wichita State recorded a season-high 12 steals.

Giles sparked the early surge, knocking down a three to stretch the lead to 13-4 - the largest of the game - with 15:17 remaining. Berg provided a steady interior presence, scoring around the rim and helping Wichita State dominate the paint early.

South Florida chipped away behind Wes Enis and Izaiyah Nelson, trimming the deficit to two midway through the period. Wichita State responded with a series of second-chance opportunities and strong rebounding to reestablish control. Gray Jr.'s tip-in and a jumper from Giles at the buzzer helped the Shockers take a 33-26 lead into halftime.

At the break, Wichita State held South Florida to 36.4 percent shooting and just 2-of-15 from three-point range.

South Florida (17-8, 9-3) wasted little time trimming the deficit after halftime. Joseph Pinion opened the half with a three-pointer and Wes Enis followed with a second-chance basket to cut the Shockers' lead to two within the first minute. 

Wichita State answered behind its frontcourt, as Battie threw down a dunk and Gray Jr. knocked down a transition three to push the margin back to five, 38-33, with 17:02 remaining.

The game tightened over the next several minutes as both teams traded baskets. Battie's second dunk of the half gave Wichita State a 42-37 lead, but South Florida responded with a key three from Josh Omojafo to make it a one-possession game again.

The pivotal stretch came near the 14-minute mark. Enis buried a three-pointer to give South Florida its first lead of the second half at 43-42. Wichita State briefly reclaimed momentum when Kenyon Giles answered with a three of his own to make it 45-43. 

From there, the Bulls leaned heavily on second-chance opportunities and interior scoring. A Devin Haid jumper off a turnover tied the game at 47-47 before Enis scored inside to give South Florida the lead again at 49-48 with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Berg's free throw tied the game at 49 with 8:55 left, but the Shockers were unable to regain consistent offensive rhythm down the stretch. 

The Shockers struggled to find scoring opportunities over the final four minutes while South Florida capitalized at the free-throw line. The Bulls closed the game on a 12-6 run, highlighted by late free throws from Izaiyah Nelson and CJ Brown.

Up Next
Wichita State hosts Tulsa on Saturday in another crucial battle for standings position with just a few weeks remaining in the regular season.