Southern Methodist 71, South Florida 54: Markus Kennedy recorded a career-high 18 points to go with 10 rebounds and four steals as the Mustangs led from start to finish against the visiting Bulls.

Shawn Williams added 16 points and seven rebounds for Southern Methodist (12-4, 2-2 American Athletic Conference), which shot 50.9 percent from the field. Nic Moore recorded 12 points and six assists for the Mustangs, who improved to 8-0 at home this season.

Zach LeDay led the way with 12 points and six rebounds for South Florida (10-7, 1-3), which was held to season-low 32.1 percent from the floor. Chris Perry chipped in with 10 points and five boards while leading scorer Victor Rudd was held to five points on 2-of-13 shooting.

Kennedy scored seven early points as Southern Methodist sped out to a 17-2 lead after South Florida missed its first nine shots of the game. The Mustangs extended their advantage to 19 following Kennedy's jumper with seven minutes left in the first half before settling for a 38-23 edge at the break.

Southern Methodist put the game out of reach when Moore keyed a 13-2 run to stretch the lead to 54-31 with over 13 minutes remaining. Williams' jumper put the Mustangs on top 70-45 and they cruised to their second conference victory.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Southern Methodist won the battle of the boards 37-31 and has outrebounded its opponents in 15 of its 16 games. … South Florida started off 0-of-6 from beyond the arc before finishing 5-of-17. … The Mustangs have held their opponents to under 40 percent shooting on 13 occasions this season.