USC Faces New Mexico St. In Diamond Head Classic Final On Christmas Day

The USC Trojans (8-4) are facing the New Mexico State Aggies (11-2) in the final of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawai'i on Dec. 25 at 1:00 p.m. PT. USC has won all five games it has played at the Diamond Head Classic, winning the 2009 title (3-0). USC is 1-1 on Christmas Day, defeating UNLV in the Diamond Head Classic in 2009 and falling to Bradley in the 1947 season (since records were kept in 1928).

BREAKING DOWN THE AGGIES -- The New Mexico State Aggies (11-2) are coming off a 63-54 win over No. 6 Miami on Dec. 23 and have won five consecutive games. Redshirt senior guard Zach Lofton leads the Aggies with a 18.4 scoring average. Senior forward Jemerrio Jones averages a double-double with 10.2 points and 10.8 rebounds. NMSU averages 8.8 more rebounds that its opponents. NMSU returned three starters from a team that went 28-6 last season and made the NCAA Tournament. USC leads the all-time series 5-1, winning the last meeting 80-61 on Nov. 21, 2011.

USC DEFEATS MIDDLE TENNESSEE IN DHC SEMIFINAL -- Chimezie Metu scored 27 and Bennie Boatwright 23 as the Trojans overcame a nine-point second-half deficit to defeat Middle Tennessee 89-84 in the Diamond Head Classic semifinal on Dec. 23. USC trailed 43-42 at the break and 54-45 four minutes into the second half before going on a 10-0 run, capped by a Metu dunk to give the Trojans a 55-54 lead at 11:54 of the second half. Middle Tennessee briefly retook the lead at 66-64, but a Boatwright three-pointer with 7:24 remaining gave the Trojans the lead for good. The Blue Raiders cut the deficit back down to two at 76-74, but Shaqquan Aaron hit consecutive three-pointers at 2:54 and 2:16 to make it a 6-point lead at 82-76 and the Trojans held on. USC made 68.2 percent of its shots in the second half and 57.8 percent for the game, its best since March 4, 2017 vs. Washington. Middle Tennessee made 49.2 percent of its shots, but only 42.4 percent in the second half. USC also made 52.4 percent from three-point range. Elijah Stewart added 13 points, Jordan McLaughlin 11 and Aaron 10. Nick King led Middle Tennessee with a game-high 28 points. Twelve of Boatwright's 23 points came from the free throw line as he took 16 free throws. USC as a team made 78.8 percent of its free throws.

LEARNING TO WIN EARLY -- USC has recorded at least eight wins in the nonconference schedule all five seasons under Enfield, with a best of 13-0 last season. USC had five victories in the nonconference slate in each of the two previous seasons.

PAC-12 OPENER AGAINST WASHINGTON ON DECK - USC's next game will be vs. Washington (10-3) to open Pac-12 play on Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Washington is coming off a 66-63 home win against Montana on Dec. 22 and has won three straight games. Freshman Jaylen Nowell leads four Huskies in double-figures with a 16.9 points per game average. Washington returned four starters and 10 lettermen from last year's team. USC defeated Washington three times during the 2016-17 season and have defeated the Huskies four consecutive times. USC leads the all-time series 72-71, with two wins in 2008 vacated due to NCAA penalty.

COMPACT SCHEDULE -- USC is in the midst of playing eight games in 18 days (4-1), after beginning the season with seven games in 34 days.

OFFENSE STARTING TO CLICK -- USC has scored 80 or more points in six consecutive games (88.2 points/game). USC is making 51.4 percent (186-for-362) of its shots in that stretch.

McGLAUGHLIN RISING UP THE CHARTS -- Senior point guard Jordan McLaughlin continues to lead the Trojans and move up some of USC's all-time lists. McLaughlin is averaging 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season. He leads all Pac-12 players in assists per game and is second in steals per game (2.2). McLaughlin ranks second on USC's all-time list and is sixth among current players with 550 career assists. He also ranks 6th in steals (165), 10th in three-pointers (152), 14th in scoring (1,352) and 7th in minutes played on USC's all-time lists.

MIGHTY METU -- USC forward Chimezie Metu has registered 34 dunks in USC's first 12 games, with at least one in every game accept vs. Akron on Dec. 22. He has out-dunked USC's opponents 34-23 this season and USC has had 55 dunks to its opposition's 23.

COMEBACK KIDS AT IT AGAIN -- USC rallied from a 10-point deficit in the win vs. North Dakota State on Nov. 13, from a 14-point hole in the victory at Vanderbilt on Nov. 19, from 9 back vs. Akron on Dec. 22 and from 9 back in the second half against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 23. USC led all NCAA teams during the 2016-17 season with 13 comebacks from 10 or more points down. USC also had 15 wins in games it trailed by nine or more points in the 2016-17 season.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS... -- With De'Anthony Melton missing USC's first 12 games, Derryck Thornton missing the last seven games (shoulder), Bennie Boatwright missing two games (foot) and Jonah Mathews two games (ankle/foot), USC has missed 23 games of action by projected rotation players or 1.9 players per game this season.

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Players Mentioned

Shaqquan Aaron

Bennie Boatwright

Jonah Mathews

Jordan McLaughlin

Chimezie Metu

Elijah Stewart

Derryck Thornton