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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Olayinka Sanni scored 23 points and Sparkle Davis had 22 points to lead No. 17 West Virginia past South Florida 79-73 in the BIG EAST Conference opener for both teams Saturday night.
West Virginia (11-2, 1-0 BIG EAST) also got 16 points from Meg Bulger. The Mountaineers, who have won eight of nine, were coming off a 79-66 loss to Indiana on Dec. 22.
Shantia Grace had 25 points for USF (10-4, 0-1 BIG EAST), which has lost two in a row following an eight-game winning streak.
Davis had six points during a 15-2 run that put West Virginia ahead 69-55 with 6 1-2 minutes left.
The Bulls made it close late, using a 10-2 run to get within 76-73 with 13.9 seconds remainng. Grace keyed the comeback try with four free throws.
Bulger converted two free throws and LaQuita Owens made 1 of 2 from the line in the final seconds of play to preserve the West Virginia victory.
"I think that a three-minute stretch in the second half totally killed us," said USF head coach Jose Fernandez. "It was a one-point game coming out of a time out and we didn't get anything offensively on three trips and they came down and outscored us 7-0. We clawed back in the end there to shave that lead down to a one possession game. But that's just our kids understanding just how important every possession is. You have to give credit to West Virginia; they are a very good basketball team. But our kids have to learn that they can't decide when to play and when not to play, and I think at times that's what happened."
The Mountaineers used 7-for-14 shooting from 3-point range to go up 35-31 at halftime. Davis, who made 3-of-4 long-range shots, had 11 first-half points.
USF, behind 10 points from Grace, trailed by one, at 32-31 with three minutes left in the half.
Also in double figures for the Bulls was ChiChi Okpaleke and Daiane Packer chipping in with 13 and 12 points apiece. Jazmine Sepulveda also added 10 points in the loss.
The Bulls will return to action on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. when they travel to Queens, N.Y. to face St. John's.
USF Sports Information contributed to this story
