USC quickly decimated by the Utah Utes

The USC Trojans (9-12, 1-8 Pac-12) were blown out by the No. 11 Utah Utes (17-4, 7-2) by a score of 67-39.

The Utes dominated from start to finish, jumping out to an early 20-point first-half lead and never looking back. The Trojans, who entered the game fresh off a heartbreaking triple-overtime loss to the Colorado Buffaloes last Thursday, came out sluggish and never got their offense going.

Utah played spectacular defense in the first half, holding the Trojans to 12 points on 19 percent shooting from the field. Led by 7-foot-one Austrian center Jakob Poeltl, the Utes dominated in the paint, bullying their way to 22 points in the paint and 19 first-half rebounds.

While USC has been inconsistent with their offense throughout the season, their defense has been able keep them competitive. The Utes were able to shoot 45 percent from the field and had 9 second-chance points, however, which brought them to a 32-12 first-half lead.

“We didn’t play well in the first half. A lot had to do with what Utah was doing and a lot to do with what we weren’t doing,” head coach Andy Enfield said. “We missed some shots. I thought our defense played not [terribly].”

After his starters fell behind by as much as 29 points in the second half, Enfield decided to give his bench a chance to make something happen with 16 minutes left in the game.

Over the next six minutes, the Trojan bench would lead a spirited 13-1 run that saw USC climb to just a 17-point deficit, sparking Utah to return their starters to the game.

“I was very proud of our bench coming in and increasing the energy and increasing the productivity. Really proud of those guys. They came in and did what we needed to do,” Enfield said.

Unfortunately, a quick 12-2 run by the Utes all but sealed a victory with just five minutes to play.

Just one game after combining for over 65 point, redshirt sophomore guard Katin Reinhardt and sophomore forward Nikola Jovanovic really struggled to find their shot against a stout Utah defense. Jovanovic was held under double digits for the first time in over 10 games and Reinhardt had one of his worst games in recent memory with just 6 points and one assist.

Freshman point guard Jordan McLaughlin’s struggles continued. The guard has yet to put together a solid game since returning from an ugly elbow injury. McLaughlin was held scoreless on 0-7 shooting and recorded his first game without an assist. Enfield also held his star guard to just six minutes in the second half.

“We have extreme confidence in Jordan. I’m sure he will start making a higher percentage of his shots. Unfortunately he’s just had a hard time getting some shots in,” Enfield said. “We’re not down on him at all. He’s going to be a special player in this league. He’s just going through a slump right now.”

Forward Malik Martin led the Trojans with 11 points, two rebounds, two steals and a block. Martin had arguably his best game as a Trojan and was a main component of USC’s second-half comeback push.

The Utes had 11 players score, including three in double digits. Poeltl led Utah with 14 points and nine rebounds. Leading scorer Delon Wright chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and three steals, rounding out a great         all-around performance from the Utes.

USC had a hard time dealing with Utah’s size advantage. The Trojans were held to 27 percent shooting from the field, were outscored in the paint 38-18 and out-rebounded 39-26. With a lack of size down low, the Trojans have been exposed by numerous Pac-12 teams, Utah being the latest.

USC has lost six straight games and sits last in the      Pac-12 standings. The Trojans will make the short trip up to the Bay Area this week to take on the Cal and Stanford. The Trojans tip off against the Bears this Thursday, Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. USC’s last win came against the Bears almost a month ago on Jan. 7.