East Carolina won its American Athletic Conference opening game, while Houston and Temple also picked up league wins on Wednesday, January 5.

Wednesday, January 5
Temple 66, UCF 62 - Box Score
East Carolina 88, Tulane 80 (OT) - Box Score
No. 12/14 Houston 83, South Florida 66 - Box Score

Temple 66, UCF 62 - Box Score
ORLANDO, Fla. -- — Jahlil White scored 17 points and Damian Dunn added 16 and Temple beat UCF 66-62 on Wednesday night.

Down 62-61, Dunn hit a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining to give the Owls the lead and after a Knight turnover hit a pair of free throws to clinch the game.

Jeremiah Williams scored 13 points and distributed six assists and Zach Hicks scored 10 for the Owls (8-6, 1-2 American Athletic Conference).

Darius Perry scored 14 points, Cheikh Mbacke Diong added 12 points with three blocks and C.J. Walker grabbed nine rebounds for the Knights (9-4, 1-2).

UCF defeated Temple 65-48 on Dec. 15.

East Carolina 88, Tulane 80 (OT) - Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- (AP) — Tristen Newton scored 14 points in overtime on his way to a career-high 32 to lead East Carolina to an 88-80 win over Tulane on Wednesday night.

Capping a second half that featured five lead changes and five ties, Newton hit a 3-pointer to even the score at 71 with two seconds remaining in regulation and send the game to overtime.

Brandon Johnson had 14 points and 10 rebounds for East Carolina (10-3, 1-0 American Athletic Conference). Brandon Suggs added 12 points and 11 assists. Vance Jackson had 11 points.

East Carolina posted a season-high 25 assists.

Jaylen Forbes had 24 points and seven rebounds for the Green Wave (5-7, 2-1). Jalen Cook added 19 points. Kevin Cross had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

No. 12/14 Houston 83, South Florida 66 - Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. -- (AP) — Josh Carlton had a career-high 30 points with 11 rebounds and No. 12 Houston beat South Florida 83-66 on Wednesday night.

Carlton's previous best scoring performance was 21 points while with UConn on March 7, 2019, against Temple.

Kyler Edwards, who returned after missing Sunday's 66-61 win at Temple with a sprained ankle, had 15 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for Houston (13-2, 2-0 American Athletic Conference). Fabian White Jr. had 15 points and Jamal Shead had 13.

USF (5-8, 0-1) got 16 points from Javon Greene and Jamir Chaplin.

Carlton had four in-close baskets and Edwards hit a 3-pointer as Houston opened the second half with a 13-4 run to go up 53-41 with 15 ½ minutes left.

Taze Moore's long-range jumper gave Houston a 69-50 advantage with seven minutes remaining. He finished with five points, six rebounds and five assists.

Carlton nearly had a double-double in the first half with 18 points and eight rebounds to help Houston take a 40-37 lead at the break. The Cougars outscored USF 24-8 in the paint during the opening 20 minutes and 42-22 overall.

Greene hit two 3s as USF took an 11-2 lead four minutes into the game. Houston misfired on eight of its first nine shots.

South Florida played for the first time since a 77-57 loss to Wyoming in Hawaii on Christmas Day. The Bulls game against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 29 was cancelled and their conference opener New Year's Day was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols involving the opposition.