Got to give Cal credit they are short handed this year and had one of their better players sit out due to team violation. USC likewise was without Bennie Boatwright, likely giving his foot one more week before the Bruins game.
USC played good D throughout the game and though they couldn’t spit in the ocean with 32% shooting in the first half (at least 7 in and out bummers) they induced 14 turnovers and overall got 1/3 of their points off Cal turnovers mostly cause by the press D. Unlike the Stanford game the refs kind of let them play in this one with 27total FTs.
After that dismal showing in the last game the attendance was decent at 6,000 or so but the student section should be ashamed with less than 1/3 of the seats occupied. Lynn Swan and Max Nikias were there.
USC won its 6th straight conference game after that Stanford 50 foot dagger. That’s the most since 2002 with 9 straight being the high in 1992. Not likely to be repeated this year with UCLA, and at the Arizonas , though Arizona was lucky against Utah after nearly giving away their game at home.
Streaky game in first half, Cal packed it in inside and USC shot erratically so it went 16-8 Cal, then 23-18 USC ending at 31-29 UC at hr half. In the second half the 3 points shots by 6th man candidate Jonah Matthews and Elijah Stewart finding his touch has a combined game of 32 points and 8-13 3 pointers. It was still within 5 at the 11 minute mark and USC then spurted to a 20 point lead that ended 18 point difference. Funny since USC was favored by 17 1/2 and that didn’t look possible. Now 1/2 game behind Arizona and #41 in RPI and 47 in toughest SOS which should get better (and more challenging) over the remaining parts of the season.
Metu is a great player but his temper needs to be fixed. He was beaten on a scoring play, fouled the shooter and tossed the ball in anger against the cushiony part of the basket…a tech foul and a 10 point lead striped from 10 pints to 5 after the FTs.
USC played good D throughout the game and though they couldn’t spit in the ocean with 32% shooting in the first half (at least 7 in and out bummers) they induced 14 turnovers and overall got 1/3 of their points off Cal turnovers mostly cause by the press D. Unlike the Stanford game the refs kind of let them play in this one with 27total FTs.
After that dismal showing in the last game the attendance was decent at 6,000 or so but the student section should be ashamed with less than 1/3 of the seats occupied. Lynn Swan and Max Nikias were there.
USC won its 6th straight conference game after that Stanford 50 foot dagger. That’s the most since 2002 with 9 straight being the high in 1992. Not likely to be repeated this year with UCLA, and at the Arizonas , though Arizona was lucky against Utah after nearly giving away their game at home.
Streaky game in first half, Cal packed it in inside and USC shot erratically so it went 16-8 Cal, then 23-18 USC ending at 31-29 UC at hr half. In the second half the 3 points shots by 6th man candidate Jonah Matthews and Elijah Stewart finding his touch has a combined game of 32 points and 8-13 3 pointers. It was still within 5 at the 11 minute mark and USC then spurted to a 20 point lead that ended 18 point difference. Funny since USC was favored by 17 1/2 and that didn’t look possible. Now 1/2 game behind Arizona and #41 in RPI and 47 in toughest SOS which should get better (and more challenging) over the remaining parts of the season.
Metu is a great player but his temper needs to be fixed. He was beaten on a scoring play, fouled the shooter and tossed the ball in anger against the cushiony part of the basket…a tech foul and a 10 point lead striped from 10 pints to 5 after the FTs.
