With just over two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the second half, Michigan guard Dion Harris stepped around a Chris Hunter pick and drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Wolverines a late 66-54 lead.

But South Florida’s Terrence Leather was still on the floor.

On the ensuing play, Leather committed a charge — his fifth and final foul.

When the senior took a seat on the bench, the game was over.

The only thing that could wear Leather out in Crisler Arena on Saturday seemed to be foul trouble.

With the Bulls forward out of the game for stretches late in the second half, Michigan was able to overcome several South Florida runs en route to a 71-62 victory.

“We had no answers for Terrence Leather,” Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. “I thought he was just a terrific player.”

Leather was almost unstoppable in the paint, notching a career-high 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting in just 25 minutes. He had scored more than half of his team’s points — 28 of 54 — when he fouled out with 2:06 remaining in the second half.

“Once he got a rhythm and his shots were falling, it seemed like everything he threw up was going in,” Hunter said.

Even though Hunter had difficulty guarding Leather on defense, he was able to pick up the slack on offense. The forward was perfect from the free throw line in the second half, converting all eight attempts. The Wolverines (6-3) were able to control South Florida (5-3) and its remaining players, who combined for just 34 points and shot 36 percent from the field.

“The key was containing the other guys,” Hunter said. “(Leather) got his points, but I thought we did a good job on the other guys and did not let them get involved.”

Michigan, though, was able to rely on its depth to overcome the Bulls’ inside scoring — 19 of their 26 field goals came in the paint. Guard Sherrod Harrell scored a career-high seven points in nine first-half minutes, while freshman Ron Coleman and sophomore Brent Petway added 10 points each.

“If we continue to gets those kinds of efforts from those guys and we continue to execute, then we will be all right,” Hunter said.

Up 34-32 at halftime, Michigan exchanged buckets with South Florida until just under 14 minutes remained in the second half, when Leather picked up his fourth foul.

With the senior on the bench, the Wolverines went on a 10-3 run. Leather returned with 8:38 remaining and scored five quick points to cut Michigan’s lead to 57-53 — the closest the Bulls would get in the game.

“When (Leather) is not in there, it’s a weapon offensively that we don’t have,” South Florida coach Robert McCullum said. “It makes it easier to defend us when he’s not in the game.”

Even with Leather off the court in the waning minutes, the Bulls would not give in, as they ate away at Michigan’s narrow lead. But a pair of free throws from Hunter and Harris iced the game for the Wolverines.

“We need to do a better job of closing out the game,” Amaker said. “(Things like) handling the basketball, running late-game offense — that stuff. We need to manage the clock better and need to play the game situation better. And (without) a player like a Daniel Horton — who’s been in (difficult) situations a lot — hopefully those things will be easier.”

Despite leading the Wolverines with 22 points, Harris — who has become the de-facto offensive leader for Michigan with Horton, Lester Abram and Graham Brown sidelined — admitted he could have done a better job handling the close game.

“I think me being the point guard, I have to control it a little better,” Harris said. “I’m the leader out there. I just have to control the game the whole time and not let things slip away like it kind of did at the end of the game (on Saturday).”

Already without Horton at the point, Michigan lost another point guard — senior Dani Wohl — in practice on Thursday. Wohl fell hard on his elbow and is out indefinitely. The junior played 30 minutes and scored four points in Michigan’s 67-53 win over High Point last Tuesday.

With all of Michigan’s injuries lately, coach Amaker admitted to his team before the game that he needed a boost.

“They lifted me up,” Amaker said of the win. “And I wanted them to know that’s the joy of being the group, the team, the family — you never know when you will uplift someone else. I had a chance to say that to them, and it was heartfelt.”