Angel Nunez scored 11 of his team-high 19 points in the second half as No. 9 South Florida held on to defeat No. 8 East Carolina 71-66 in the first-round of the American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament Thursday at Orlando's Amway Center.
The Bulls (8-24, 4-14 AAC), who secured their first AAC tournament win by defeating the Pirates (12-20, 4-14), will face top-seeded Temple Friday at noon.
Chris Perry added 18 points and five rebounds as USF took the season series from ECU, 2-1.