Men’s basketball wins final home game
In its final home game of the season, the USC men’s basketball team was able to come away with a 70-55 win over an undermanned Washington Huskies squad.
The Trojans (11-18, 3-14 Pac-12) raced out of the gate en route to an early 14-2 lead. The Huskies (15-13, 4-12), who were without leading scorer and Pac-12 assist leader Nigel Williams-Goss, missed their first nine shots.
However, the Huskies, led by guards Andrew Andrews and Quevyn Winters, would go on a 20-7 run over a nine-minute period to take the lead 22-21. USC responded with its own 6-0 run to end the half while keeping the Huskies scoreless in the final four minutes.
Sophomore forward Nikola Jovanovic paced an 18-7 Trojan run to start the second half. Jovanovic, who had been in a slump as of late, scored the first 8 points for the Trojans, capped off by a massive dunk. Jovanovic would finish with 16 points, seven rebounds, and one block.
“Nikola was aggressive and he rebounded the ball,” head coach Andy Enfield said. “When we got him the ball in the post he was able to finish. That’s as well as he’s played in a while.”
The Huskies tried to battle back but never got within single digits of the Trojans. Andrews and Winters combined for 35 points, including eight 3-pointers. The rest of the Huskies would contribute only 20 points while shooting a mere 29 percent from the field.
With point guard Jordan McLaughlin out for the season with a shoulder injury, fellow freshman guard Elijah Stewart has continued to impress. Stewart contributed 14 points, on 55 percent shooting, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks. He’s now averaging 10 points, four rebounds, two steals and 2.4 blocks over his last five games.
The Trojans snapped their three-game losing streak and have now won one more Pac-12 game than last season. While the Trojans are only marginally better on paper compared to last season, the team has made great strides throughout the season.
“We all like each other and playing with each other,” sophomore guard Julian Jacobs said. “That wasn’t the case last year.”
Jacobs, a holdover from last year’s squad, has thrived since taking over point guard duties for the injured McLaughlin. The sophomore had his best game as a Trojan on Saturday night, flirting with a triple-double — 8 points, nine assists, and 10 rebounds.
The win was much needed for both the team and the Trojan faithful who have showed up this season. Jacobs hopes the win shows how much promise this young team has for years to come.
“We basically just wanted to give them [the audience] something to look forward to next season,” Jacobs said.
The final home game is usually meant to honor the senior members of a team. This season, however, USC doesn’t have a single senior on its squad. The Trojans field one of the youngest teams in Division I and start three freshmen. Their youth and inexperience has cost them throughout the season as they have dropped numerous close games in the final minutes. Youth, however, means there is room for improvement.
The Trojans will have a chance to climb out of last place when they take on crosstown rival UCLA this Wednesday at 6 p.m. With a win and a pair of Washington losses, the Trojans would finish tied for last but above the Huskies due to their head-to-head record.
A win over UCLA would also give USC their first road victory in conference play.