LOS ANGELES (AP) Lodrick Stewart scored 22 points as USC withstood a spirited second-half effort from BYU for an 87-82 win Saturday night.
After leading at halftime, 44-30, for the first time this season, USC (2-2) stretched its advantage to 17 early in the second half before BYU came back to make it tense.
The Cougars (1-5) went on a 20-3 run, tying the game at 56 on a Mike Rose 3-pointer with 10:50 left.
Less than a minute later, Jimmy Balderson's two free throws gave BYU a 60-58 lead, but the Trojans eventually took control again, going on a 12-0 run to take a 76-64 lead with 6:09 left.
But BYU wasn't done. The Cougars went on a 15-5 spurt-capped by another Mike Rose three-to close to within 81-79 with 1:50 left.
Rose missed consecutive 3-point attempts on BYU's next two possessions as the Trojans pulled away.
Balderson led the Cougars, who are off to their worst start since beginning 1-7 in 1997, with 22 points. Rose added 13.
In addition to Stewart, the Trojans had four other players in double figures. Rory O'Neil had 20, Gabriel Pruitt had 16 and Nick Young and Nick Curtis each had 10.
