No. 15 USC defeats UC Berkeley 79-72 in final meeting

Eight minutes into USC’s game against UC Berkeley Saturday, the Trojans began in a way that is evolving into a regular routine. USC had just 9 points while giving up 20 to the Golden Bears, which had 29 in just the first half of their previous game against UCLA. 

A certain fan had seen enough, exclaiming: “Wake up, Trojans” to a team that combined for 23 points in the first 10 minutes of play in its previous two games.

But just like against Arizona State and Stanford, No. 15 USC eventually woke up, dragging itself towards a 79-72 win against Cal, sweeping the season series and staying alive in the Pac-12 title race.

The Trojans have now won their last eight games against the Golden Bears. It was USC’s fifth game in 10 days, going 4-1 during the stretch.

“Give Cal a lot of credit, they played outstanding offensive basketball. They made shot after shot,” said Head Coach Andy Enfield in a postgame press conference. “When a team shoots like that, hats off to them. They played very well, and I thought they competed at a very high level.” 

The Trojans’ defense struggled for a second game in a row with Cal shooting 50% from the field and 3-point line. The Golden Bears shot just 33% from downtown coming into Saturday. The rebound margin was also close — both teams tied at 28, compared to USC’s 15 rebound advantage in the first meeting. 

Cal hung around in the second half, cutting the Trojans’ lead to 3 with 1:40 left in the game as USC went ice cold late in the second half. But the Trojans managed to pull away after a basket from junior forward Isaiah Mobley and conversions from the free throw line ended any chance of an upset.

After 9 points against Stanford Thursday, Mobley broke out for a career-high 24 points on 9-for-21 shooting during Saturday’s game. Junior guard Boogie Ellis added 21 points, his highest total since the first game of the season.

USC also had its season-low in turnovers with 4. Enfield credited junior guard Ethan Anderson with controlling the game and calming the offense down. Anderson had 4 points and 5 assists with no turnovers after back-to-back games with no points and 1 assist combined.

“This was a really good game for me. I needed this mentally just because I know how much I can bring to the team,” Anderson said. “I know how much my teammates trust me and I feel like I can make the game easier for all of our guys.”

However, most of the offensive action went through Mobley as the game progressed. The 6-foot-10 forward’s aggression accelerated across the night with more drives toward the basket and low post play.

Mobley also added 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and a late basket to stretch out USC’s lead. 

“He’s a great player. Great players make great plays,” Ellis said. “We have a great belief in him. We knew that’s what he’s capable of. When we saw him do that, it’s just normal.” 

Following its slow start, USC buckled down on defense and closed out the half on a 32-15 run. Cal, meanwhile, went without a field goal for nearly five minutes during the same stretch. The Trojans went into the half up 6.  

Mobley and Ellis came alive as the half progressed, combining for 25 points and igniting a struggling USC offense. 

A key substitution that sparked the 12-minute run was redshirt senior guard Isaiah White. White has fallen below in the rotation, averaging 10 minutes per game this season after 20 last season. 

Flying around the court with his hustle, White provided a spark on defense with his hustle and was a team-high plus 20 in 20 minutes. 

Enfield had high praise for White.

“I thought [White] was the key to the game in the first half. We were struggling on both sides, and he came in with some energy and just was aggressive,” Enfield said. 

USC will travel on the road to face Arizona State Thursday at 8 p.m.