6 hours Ago By Field Level Media
Chibuzo Agbo scored a game-high 18 points as Southern California extended its winning streak to four games while coasting to an 82-51 victory against Southern on Sunday at Los Angeles. Josh Cohen scored 17 points while connecting on 9 of 10 free-throw attempts, Desmond Claude added 13 points and Wesley Yates III chipped in 11 for the Trojans (9-4). Dionjahe Thomas, Jordan Johnson and DaMariee Jones all scored 10 points for Southern (5-7).
It was an Agbo wing 3-pointer that gave USC an 11-2 lead. Thomas' put-back slam cut the USC lead to 12-4 for the Jaguars first basket in over four minutes. The Trojans pushed the early advantage to 19-4 on a layup by Rashaun Agee Southern entered the game with the second most bench points in the nation at 44.
1 per game, yet was held to 19 against USC. The Trojans held a 20-4 edge in fast-break points. The visitors rallied with a 7-0 run that started when Jones tipped in his own missed layup.
A Thomas free throw capped the rally and brought the Jaguars within 28-17, the closest they would get the rest of the game. An Andre Nunley steal and contested lay in cut the USC lead to 39-27 with 24 seconds remaining in the opening half, but Claude spun into a baby hook shot at the first-half buzzer as the Trojans went up 41-27 at halftime. To open the second half, Cohen went on his own 7-1 run as he hit five free throws and muscled through a foul for a put-back basket as USC stretched its lead to 48-29 with 18:17 remaining.
With 10:10 left in the game, a Jones layup punctuated a 9-0 Southern run, as the Trojans' lead dipped to 59-40. But USC answered with an 8-0 scoring binge that Yates capped with a layup. The Trojans held a lead of at least 20 points the rest of the game.
-Field Level Media.
