No. 19 USC overcomes poor shooting, beats Arizona St 58-53
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) Southern California's first 36 minutes on the basketball court were mostly forgettable Thursday night.
Considering the way the series has gone on Arizona State's court in recent years, they weren't particularly important anyway.
Boogie Ellis scored 21 points, including five free throws in the final minute, to lift No. 19 USC over Arizona State 58-53 and help the Trojans keep pace in the Pac-12 race.
The last 12 games between these teams in Tempe have been decided by 10 points or less. Several of them have come down to the buzzer. This one was tight until the final minute, when Ellis took over on offense and pushed the Trojans to a victory.
''You just put three or four minutes on the clock, put a tie score on the board, and we'll play from there,'' USC coach Andy Enfield said. ''That's just the way it's been. We're fortunate to win this game.''
The Trojans (19-3, 9-3 Pac-12) have won two in a row and five of their last six. The Sun Devils have lost four straight. Both teams struggled shooting until the final minutes, when they traded baskets in a white-knuckle finish.
Isaiah Mobley made a 3-pointer with 1:57 left to put USC up 49-48 but Arizona State (6-13, 2-7) responded with Jalen Graham's layup while getting fouled. He made the free throw to put the Sun Devils up 51-49.
Mobley's tough basket in the post tied it 51-all with a minute left and Ellis made a pair of free throws to give USC a 53-51 lead with 46 seconds left. Ellis added three more free throws over the next few possessions and then added an exclamation point with a breakaway dunk just before the buzzer.
''We knew we'd hit big shots when we needed it,'' Ellis said. ''Overall, just trying to get the ball down low to our big guys, try to get to the rim and draw fouls.''
USC shot 25 free throws compared to Arizona State's eight. Mobley finished with 12 points for the Trojans. Drew Peterson had six points and 13 rebounds.
Arizona State took its first lead when Kimani Lawrence's layup made it 28-27 with 17:12 remaining. The Sun Devils pushed their advantage to 40-32 with about 11 minutes left.
The Sun Devils were led by Graham's 19 points. Lawrence added 14. Arizona State shot just 3 of 21 from 3-point range.
''It was there for us to take,'' coach Bobby Hurley said. ''We did our work on the defensive end but we just didn't get enough offense when they shifted to a zone.''
USC jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first four minutes. The Trojans extended their advantage to 14-2 before suddenly going cold, missing nine straight shots in a scoreless streak that lasted nearly six minutes.
''We started out well,'' Enfield said. ''Then we stopped sharing the basketball, we had too many turnovers and took some tough shots. They played really good defense, they were very active.''
That allowed Arizona State to claw back into the game, but an inefficient offense kept the Sun Devils from taking the lead. USC took a 26-24 edge into halftime.
USC shot just 27% before the break while Arizona State shot 26%.
BIG PICTURE
USC has to be happy to overcome its worst offensive performance of the season. Ellis was big in the final minutes.
Arizona State was competitive - especially on defense - but the lack of offense continues to be a problem. The Sun Devils came into the game with the worst offense in the Pac-12 and haven't scored more than 56 points over the past three games.
UP NEXT
USC: Travels to face No. 7 Arizona on Saturday.
Arizona State: Hosts No. 3 UCLA on Saturday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Chevez Goodwin vs. Alonzo Gaffney (Sun Devils gains possession) | |||
19:34 | Kimani Lawrence misses two point jump shot | |||
19:32 | Isaiah Mobley defensive rebound | |||
19:05 | +2 | Chevez Goodwin makes two point layup (Drew Peterson assists) | 2-0 | |
18:51 | Chevez Goodwin personal foul | |||
18:48 | Jay Heath misses two point jump shot | |||
18:46 | Drew Peterson defensive rebound | |||
18:40 | +3 | Isaiah Mobley makes three point jump shot | 5-0 | |
18:16 | DJ Horne misses two point jump shot | |||
18:14 | Chevez Goodwin defensive rebound | |||
18:06 | Boogie Ellis misses two point layup | |||
18:04 | Chevez Goodwin offensive rebound | |||
17:57 | Max Agbonkpolo misses three point jump shot | |||
17:55 | Alonzo Gaffney defensive rebound | |||
17:48 | +2 | Jalen Graham makes two point layup (Kimani Lawrence assists) | 5-2 | |
17:48 | Max Agbonkpolo shooting foul (Jalen Graham draws the foul) | |||
17:48 | Jalen Graham misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
17:48 | Drew Peterson defensive rebound | |||
17:27 | Drew Peterson misses three point jump shot | |||
17:25 | Isaiah Mobley offensive rebound | |||
17:20 | +2 | Isaiah Mobley makes two point layup | 7-2 | |
17:02 | DJ Horne misses three point jump shot | |||
17:00 | Joshua Morgan defensive rebound | |||
16:50 | Isaiah Mobley turnover (traveling) | |||
16:28 | Kimani Lawrence misses two point jump shot | |||
16:28 | Alonzo Gaffney offensive rebound | |||
16:28 | Alonzo Gaffney misses two point layup | |||
16:26 | Drew Peterson defensive rebound | |||
16:13 | +3 | Boogie Ellis makes three point jump shot | 10-2 | |
15:52 | DJ Horne misses two point jump shot | |||
15:50 | Drew Peterson defensive rebound | |||
15:51 | Jalen Graham shooting foul (Drew Peterson draws the foul) | |||
15:51 | TV timeout | |||
15:51 | +1 | Drew Peterson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 11-2 | |
15:51 | Drew Peterson misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
15:51 | Alonzo Gaffney defensive rebound | |||
15:30 | Marreon Jackson turnover (bad pass) (Drew Peterson steals) | |||
15:20 | Drew Peterson misses two point jump shot | |||
15:18 | Joshua Morgan offensive rebound | |||
15:12 | +3 | Boogie Ellis makes three point jump shot (Joshua Morgan assists) | 14-2 | |
14:50 | +3 | DJ Horne makes three point jump shot (Enoch Boakye assists) | 14-5 | |
14:30 | DJ Horne personal foul | |||
14:28 | Boogie Ellis misses three point jump shot | |||
14:26 | Enoch Boakye defensive rebound | |||
14:20 | DJ Horne misses three point jump shot | |||
14:18 | Trojans defensive rebound | |||
13:55 | Boogie Ellis misses three point jump shot | |||
13:53 | Enoch Boakye defensive rebound | |||
13:39 | Joshua Morgan blocks Luther Muhammad's two point layup | |||
13:37 | Kobe Johnson defensive rebound | |||
13:34 | Boogie Ellis misses three point jump shot | |||
13:32 | Joshua Morgan offensive rebound | |||
13:34 | DJ Horne shooting foul (Joshua Morgan draws the foul) | |||
13:32 | Joshua Morgan misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
13:32 | +1 | Joshua Morgan makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-5 | |
13:18 | Jamiya Neal misses three point jump shot | |||
13:16 | Marreon Jackson offensive rebound | |||
13:06 | +2 | Kimani Lawrence makes two point layup (Jamiya Neal assists) | 15-7 | |
12:46 | Drew Peterson misses three point jump shot | |||
12:44 | Jamiya Neal defensive rebound | |||
12:37 | Ethan Anderson personal foul | |||
12:26 | Kimani Lawrence misses two point jump shot | |||
12:24 | Jalen Graham offensive rebound | |||
12:23 | Jalen Graham misses two point tip shot | |||
12:21 | Isaiah Mobley defensive rebound | |||
12:23 | Kimani Lawrence personal foul (Isaiah Mobley draws the foul) | |||
12:08 | Isaiah Mobley turnover (traveling) | |||
11:53 | +2 | Jalen Graham makes two point layup (Marreon Jackson assists) | 15-9 | |
11:27 | Jalen Graham blocks Ethan Anderson's two point layup | |||
11:25 | Kimani Lawrence defensive rebound | |||
11:21 | Kimani Lawrence misses two point layup | |||
11:19 | Jalen Graham offensive rebound | |||
11:16 | +2 | Jalen Graham makes two point putback layup | 15-11 | |
11:16 | Trojans 30 second timeout | |||
11:16 | TV timeout | |||
11:04 | Jalen Graham blocks Isaiah White's two point layup | |||
11:02 | Marreon Jackson defensive rebound | |||
11:00 | Jamiya Neal offensive foul | |||
11:00 | Jamiya Neal turnover | |||
10:42 | Isaiah Mobley misses three point jump shot | |||
10:40 | Luther Muhammad defensive rebound | |||
10:25 | Chevez Goodwin personal foul (Marreon Jackson draws the foul) | |||
10:15 | Joshua Morgan blocks Jalen Graham's two point jump shot | |||
10:13 | Isaiah Mobley defensive rebound | |||
9:59 | Kimani Lawrence personal foul (Ethan Anderson draws the foul) | |||
9:57 | Marreon Jackson personal foul (Joshua Morgan draws the foul) | |||
9:57 | Joshua Morgan misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
9:57 | Luther Muhammad defensive rebound | |||
9:46 | Jalen Graham misses three point jump shot | |||
9:44 | Ethan Anderson defensive rebound | |||
9:25 | Ethan Anderson misses three point jump shot | |||
9:23 | Isaiah Mobley offensive rebound | |||
9:15 | Jamiya Neal blocks Isaiah Mobley's two point layup | |||
9:13 | Jalen Graham defensive rebound | |||
8:52 | +2 | Enoch Boakye makes two point layup (Jalen Graham assists) | 15-13 | |
8:41 | Isaiah Mobley offensive foul (Luther Muhammad draws the foul) | |||
8:41 | Isaiah Mobley turnover | |||
8:32 | Marreon Jackson turnover (bad pass) (Isaiah Mobley steals) | |||
8:18 | Isaiah White turnover (back court violation) | |||
7:59 | Jamiya Neal misses two point jump shot | |||
7:57 | Max Agbonkpolo defensive rebound | |||
7:48 | +2 | Drew Peterson makes two point jump shot | 17-13 | |
7:24 | Marreon Jackson misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
7:22 | Isaiah Mobley defensive rebound | |||
6:55 | Isaiah Mobley misses three point jump shot | |||
6:53 | Enoch Boakye defensive rebound | |||
6:39 | Joshua Morgan shooting foul (Jay Heath draws the foul) | |||
6:39 | TV timeout | |||
6:39 | +1 | Jay Heath makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 17-14 | |
6:39 | +1 | Jay Heath makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 17-15 | |
6:19 | Boogie Ellis misses two point jump shot | |||
6:17 | Enoch Boakye defensive rebound | |||
5:55 | DJ Horne misses two point jump shot | |||
5:53 | Joshua Morgan defensive rebound | |||
5:42 | Isaiah Mobley turnover (traveling) | |||
5:24 | Jay Heath misses two point jump shot | |||
5:22 | Enoch Boakye offensive rebound | |||
5:21 | Enoch Boakye misses two point layup | |||
5:19 | Sun Devils offensive rebound | |||
5:08 | Jalen Graham misses two point jump shot | |||
5:06 | Reese Dixon-Waters defensive rebound | |||
4:56 | +3 | Max Agbonkpolo makes three point jump shot (Reese Dixon-Waters assists) | 20-15 | |
4:34 | Isaiah White blocks Jay Heath's two point layup | |||
4:32 | Trojans defensive rebound | |||
4:15 | Alonzo Gaffney blocks Reese Dixon-Waters's two point layup | |||
4:13 | Reese Dixon-Waters offensive rebound | |||
4:13 | DJ Horne shooting foul (Reese Dixon-Waters draws the foul) | |||
4:14 | +1 | Reese Dixon-Waters makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-15 | |
4:14 | +1 | Reese Dixon-Waters makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 22-15 | |
4:01 | +3 | Jay Heath makes three point jump shot (Marreon Jackson assists) | 22-18 | |
3:40 | Isaiah White turnover (carrying) | |||
3:40 | TV timeout | |||
3:19 | Luther Muhammad misses three point jump shot | |||
3:17 | Max Agbonkpolo defensive rebound | |||
3:04 | +2 | Boogie Ellis makes two point driving layup | 24-18 | |
2:51 | +2 | Marreon Jackson makes two point driving layup | 24-20 | |
2:42 | Max Agbonkpolo misses three point jump shot | |||
2:40 | Max Agbonkpolo offensive rebound | |||
2:35 | Max Agbonkpolo misses two point jump shot | |||
2:33 | Reese Dixon-Waters offensive rebound | |||
2:32 | Marreon Jackson personal foul (Boogie Ellis draws the foul) | |||
2:32 | +1 | Boogie Ellis makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 25-20 | |
2:32 | +1 | Boogie Ellis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-20 | |
2:20 | Jay Heath misses three point jump shot | |||
2:18 | Drew Peterson defensive rebound | |||
2:08 | Enoch Boakye blocks Joshua Morgan's two point layup | |||
2:06 | Alonzo Gaffney defensive rebound | |||
2:06 | Boogie Ellis personal foul (Luther Muhammad draws the foul) | |||
1:50 | +1 | Luther Muhammad makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 26-21 | |
1:50 | +1 | Luther Muhammad makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-22 | |
1:32 | Enoch Boakye blocks Isaiah Mobley's two point layup | |||
1:30 | Jalen Graham defensive rebound | |||
1:24 | +2 | Jay Heath makes two point layup (Jalen Graham assists) | 26-24 | |
1:11 | Drew Peterson turnover (lost ball) (Jay Heath steals) | |||
1:06 | Isaiah Mobley blocks Jay Heath's two point layup | |||
1:04 | Drew Peterson defensive rebound | |||
0:39 | Boogie Ellis misses three point jump shot | |||
0:37 | Jamiya Neal defensive rebound | |||
0:33 | Sun Devils 30 second timeout | |||
0:10 | Luther Muhammad misses two point layup | |||
0:08 | Joshua Morgan defensive rebound | |||
0:02 | Max Agbonkpolo misses three point jump shot | |||
0:01 | Sun Devils defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |