By FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Quentin Grimes scored nine of his 22 points in the final 3:28, helping No. 20 Houston hold off South Florida 62-58 in American Athletic Conference play. Grimes made six straight free throws and also sank a 3-pointer that gave the Cougars some breathing room down the stretch to win the matchup between the top two defensive teams in the league. Fabian White scored 10 points for Houston, which led 45-34 before USF rallied to within 53-51. Grimes put the game away with help from DeJon Jarreau, who rebounded his own miss and layed the ball in for a 58-53 lead. Laquincy Rideau led USF with 21 points.

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