Trojans’ defense smothers Washington in road win

The No. 20 USC Trojans average height across the roster stands at a towering 6-feet-7-inches, good for the tallest in the entire NCAA. With the likes of star freshman forward Evan Mobley and his brother sophomore forward Isaiah Mobley contesting shots at the rim, it was no surprise that Washington managed just 22 points in the paint in a 69-54 beatdown at the hands of the TrojansThursday night. 

USC’s staggering length and quickness were on full display in a showdown which featured two teams with completely different styles of play. The Trojans reverted to old school ’80s and ’‘90s-style basketball, dominating on the glass and pounding the ball inside. At the end of the first half, USC had more offensive rebounds (10) than Washington had total rebounds (nine). 

Between the Mobley brothers and redshirt senior forward Chevez Goodwin, the Trojans continued to get into favorable positions down low, putting up 46 points in the paint with a flurry of bank shots, floaters and thunderous slams. In true, old school basketball fashion, head coach Andy Enfield’s team only attempted seven 3-pointers, connecting on just a single 3-point shot late in the second half. 

“We’re an inside game, offense first; that’s where our big guys are hard to stop,” Enfield said after the win. “Then our guards, when they make shots, we’re awfully good. Tonight, we didn’t have it going from the perimeter, but we made enough plays in the last 15 minutes to win the game.”

By stark contrast, the Huskies launched 22 shots from beyond the arc, nailling five of them. Senior guard Quade Green led the Husky offense in the first half, connecting on seven of his nine field goal attempts for 14 points, keeping Washington afloat when they were in need of an offensive spark. Even Enfield was impressed by Green’s first half display. 

“I thought I was watching Damian Lillard out there for a few minutes, you know how hard he is to stop,” said Enfield. “Damian Lillard is very much like Quade Green, with that speed, that quickness, that shot making.” 

Despite his flattering comparison for Green, Enfield’s revised gameplan after halftime held the explosive guard to just 2 points on six shots in the second half. Enfield’s group dug in defensively, holding the Huskies to just 35% shooting after halftime to keep them at bay until the final whistle.

The Trojans were able to truly gain control of the game with an assertive 18-4 run late to end of the first half, as the offense started clicking. Isaiah, who posted his fifth double-double off the season, continued to corral offensive rebounds, leading to second chance opportunities. With redshirt senior guard Tahj Eady and Evan putting constant pressure on the undersized Huskies at the rim, the Trojans defended the inside well. With the offense came the defense, as the Trojans pulled away and stayed ahead through to the finish, holding their opponent to under 70 points for the sixth straight time. 

“Our starters came back in the game and played like they wanted to take the lead at halftime. They gave us great energy,” Enfield said. “They locked down defensively and then took great shots at the other end. I thought that was a very, very impressive seven minute stretch for our starters.”

The win was USC’s first in Seattle since 2017. Now, they’ll head 300 miles east to face off against Washington State Saturday, as USC will try to tighten its grip on the No.1 spot in the Pac-12 conference. Tip off is at 5 p.m. at the Beasley Coliseum.