Everyone knew Georgetown would struggle without Greg Whittington. Just how much it would struggle has become painfully apparent.

South Florida (10-7, 1-4 Big East) hit seven three-pointers in the second half en route to a 61-58 home-court upset of the Hoyas (12-4, 2-3 Big East) Saturday evening.

Senior guard Jawanza Poland scored 15 points off the bench and Anthony Collins added 14 to lead the Bulls, who were winless in conference play prior to Saturday’s game.

South Florida came out firing early and took a 10-5 lead into the first TV timeout, but the Hoyasbattled back on the shooting of freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, who finished with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench. By halftime, Georgetown had built up a 31-23 lead.

Sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. scored a three-point play to open the second half, but it was all downhill from there for the Hoyas.

Several Bulls — primarily Poland and Collins, with help from forwards Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Victor Rudd — caught fire from long range, hitting five treys in the first five minutes of the half to give their team its first lead since midway through the opening frame. Without the 6-foot-8 Whittington (academic ineligibility) closing out on shooters, the Blue and Gray’s perimeter defense was painfully lacking.

Porter Jr. and Smith-Rivera kept hitting, but the combination of a cold night for the rest of the Hoyas and an absurd streak from Collins and the Bulls kept the visitors at arm’s length for the majority of the half.

A nifty Smith-Rivera layup brought Georgetown back within one with under three minutes to play, and Rudd and Porter traded missed jumpers on the next two possessions. After a missed three-pointer from Poland, the Hoyas had the ball with one possession left and a chance to win it.

Head Coach John Thompson III called his second full timeout with 26 seconds to play, then used up his final timeout 14 seconds later. Porter Jr. drove into traffic on an isolation play and lost control of the ball to Rudd, who promptly fed it to his point guard. Collins was fouled, hit both free throws, and timeout-less Georgetown was forced to settle for a 70-foot desperation heave at the buzzer from Porter Jr. that wasn’t close.

Porter Jr. scored 21 points for the Hoyas, who take the road again Monday against Notre Dame. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.