USC basketball finds its way in the second half to take down San Diego

It took the Trojans about 25 minutes of gameplay to find their rhythm, but once they recognized their superior talent over their opponents, they turned up the intensity in the second half, cruising to a 94-81 victory over San Diego. The Trojans now sit at 9-1 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play.

Offensive Takeaways

Chad Baker-Mazara and Ezra Ausar led the Trojans offensively all night, combining for 60 points as Baker-Mazara contributed 31 and Ausar with 29. Jaden Brownell also joined the double-digit scorers with 16 points of his own. The Trojans’ most glaring offensive strength was their shooting, hitting just under 65% from the field and an incredible 56% from three-point range. They also made 77% of their 35 free throw attempts, the only slight weakness in an otherwise stellar offensive showing. It’s surprising that USC was tied with San Diego at 38 heading into halftime, but turnovers were the culprit. The Trojans coughed up the ball 21 times, seven more than San Diego which kept the game close early. USC dominated the paint with 38 points, outscoring the opposition by 14.

Defensive Takeaways

Although the Trojans were a bit turnover-prone in this matchup, their defense stepped up, forcing San Diego into 14 turnovers. They also tallied six blocks, ranking among the top five in Division One for blocks per game. The Trojans held San Diego below their shooting averages and dominated the boards with a 30-19 rebound advantage. While San Diego got some scoring from their bench, the Trojans consistently contested shots and used their size to make things tough in the paint. Overall, the defense bounced back nicely from the Washington game, complementing a dominant offensive performance.

What's Next

The Trojans are off to a hot start, winning nine of their first ten games and riding that momentum into a crucial showdown as Washington State comes to the Galen Center on Dec. 14. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET) on FS1. So far this season, the Trojans have gone 3-1 on their home court.