DePaul’s Big East and road woes continue with loss to S.Florida

TAMPA—Hugh Robertson scored 16 points as South Florida beat DePaul 71-60 on Thursday night, extending the Blue Demons’ losing skid to 21 straight games against Big East opponents.Jawanza Poland and Toarlyn Fitzpatrick added 11 points each for South Florida (8-14, 2-7). The Bulls’ other Big East win this season came on Jan. 16, a 79-72 victory over Providence.DePaul (6-14, 0-8) got 17 points from freshman Cleveland Melvin. Its current Big East losing streak includes 20 regular-season games and one at the conference tournament.The Blue Demons have not won a Big East game since a 51-50 victory over Marquette on Jan. 20, 2010. DePaul is the lone Big East team without a conference win this season.After DePaul center Krys Faber scored four consecutive points, South Florida responded with a 10-0 run – including two slams by Poland and Augustus Gilchrist’s 3-point play – to go up 63-48 with 4 minutes left.Faber finished with 16 points. DePaul got within 66-60 on a late run that included a long-range jumper by Moses Morgan and Melvin’s basket during a 5-on-none break.Hugh Robertson hit a 3 and Anthony Crater added two free throws in the final minute that made it 71-60.South Florida took a 35-25 halftime lead, thanks in part to a 13-3 run in the final 5 minutes. Fitzpatrick hit a 3 and the Bulls made all six free-throw attempts during that stretch.USF went 12 for 12 from the line in the opening half, while DePaul converted four of its five chances. The Bulls also outscored DePaul 16-0 off the bench in the first half and 26-9 for the game.