University Southern California Trojans
Saturday, February 15
Los Angeles, Calif.
5:00 PM
USC
vs
Washington State
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: John McGillen/USC Athletics
USC To Host Washington State Saturday
February 14, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (18-7, 7-5) will host the Washington State Cougars (14-11, 5-7) at the Galen Center on Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with J.B. Long and Mike Montgomery calling the action. USC will play four of its final six regular season games at home.
BREAKING DOWN WASHINGTON STATE -- The Washington State Cougars (14-11, 5-7) are coming off a 86-83 overtime loss at UCLA on Feb. 13. Sophomore CJ Elleby (18.6 ppg) and junior Isaac Bonton (14.8 ppg) lead the Cougars in scoring. USC defeated WSU 65-56 on Jan. 2 in Pullman, Wash. behind 27 points and 12 rebounds by Onyeka Okongwu to run its winning streak against the Cougars to seven games and leads the all-time series 76-48.
SHORT-HANDED TROJANS DEFEAT WASHINGTON -- Nick Rakocevic had 19 points and 9 rebounds while Jonah Mathews scored 16 and hit 4 3-pointers as USC defeated Washington, 62-56, to snap a 3-game losing streak on Feb. 13. The win avenged the Trojans' 72-40 loss in Seattle on Jan. 5 and also ended USC's 4-game head-to-head skid against the Huskies. USC trailed 30-25 at halftime after shooting 27.3 percent before the break, but started the second half on a 9-0 run to take the lead. UW responded with a 12-5 run to retake the lead at 42-39 with 12:37 remaining. USC then took control of the game by outscoring the Huskies 19-6 and outrebounding them 13-8 over the next 9:50 to open up a 10-point lead at 58-48 with 2:47 remaining to secure the win. Onyeka Okongwu (concussion) and Kyle Sturdivant (bereavement) did not play and Ethan Anderson left the game early in the second half with a left knee contusion. Isaiah Mobley started in Okongwu's place and had 10 points and seven rebounds. USC shot just 35.8 percent from the field, but held UW to 35.0 percent shooting, including 25.8 percent in the second half. USC had a season-low 6 turnovers, one game after committing 24 at ASU, its most in a game since the 2009 season. USC had 18 assists on 24 baskets and improved to 10-0 this season when registering 17 or more assists. There was a jersey recognition ceremony at half time for DeMar DeRozan.
COLORADO ON DECK -- The Colorado Buffaloes (19-6, 8-4) are coming off a 68-60 loss at Oregon on Feb. 13 and will play at Oregon State on Feb. 15 before hosting USC on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. PT. McKinley Wright (13.6 ppg), Tyler Bey (13.2 ppg) and D'Shawn Schwartz (11.3 ppg) are all averaging in double figures in scoring. Colorado is 12-2 at home this season. USC lost 78-57 vs. Colorado on Feb. 1 at the Galen Center. Colorado leads the all-time series 12-7 and has won three straight against USC. USC has won two of its last three games at Colorado.
BOARD BROTHERS -- USC forwards Nick Rakocevic (8.6) and Onyeka Okongwu (8.9) are one of five pairs of teammates in Division I averaging 8.6 rebounds or more per game. The other schools with a tandem of rebounders averaging 8.6 rebounds or more per game are Eastern Washington, Saint Louis, West Virginia and William & Mary.
THE SURGING SENIOR -- Senior guard Jonah Mathews was held to 6 points at Arizona on Feb.6, snapping a seven-game streak of scoring in double figures, but bounced back with 22 at Arizona State on Feb. 8 and 16 points in the win over Washington on Feb. 13. In the last 10 games Mathews has averaged 15.1 points (151 points). Mathews has also made 41.3 percent of his three-point shots in that stretch (26-for-63) and 83.8 percent of his free throws (31-for-37).
SPRING FORWARD -- The game on Feb. 27 vs. Arizona has been changed to a 7 p.m. start and will air on ESPN.
ENFIELD'S WINNING WAYS -- USC head coach Andy Enfield has led USC to 128 victories which ranks fifth on USC's all-time list, four behind Henry Bibby who led USC to 132 wins. Sam Berry is the winningest coach in USC history at 260, followed by Forrest Twogood at 251 and Bob Boyd at 216. USC has won 105 games combined in the last five seasons, the winningest five-year stretch in school history.
TURNING UP THE DEFENSE -- Despite Colorado becoming the first opponent to shoot over 50 percent from the floor against USC this season on Feb. 1 (51.9 percent), USC's defense has held its last 14 opponents to a combined 38.6 shooting percentage (330-for-855). For the year, USC is holding the opposition to 39.0 percent shooting which ranks 24th in the country. Also in the last 14 games combined, USC's opponents are shooting 29.1 percent (90-for-309) from three point range. USC's opponents had made 35.6 percent of its shots from beyond the arc during the first 11 games of the season.
BREAKING DOWN WASHINGTON STATE -- The Washington State Cougars (14-11, 5-7) are coming off a 86-83 overtime loss at UCLA on Feb. 13. Sophomore CJ Elleby (18.6 ppg) and junior Isaac Bonton (14.8 ppg) lead the Cougars in scoring. USC defeated WSU 65-56 on Jan. 2 in Pullman, Wash. behind 27 points and 12 rebounds by Onyeka Okongwu to run its winning streak against the Cougars to seven games and leads the all-time series 76-48.
SHORT-HANDED TROJANS DEFEAT WASHINGTON -- Nick Rakocevic had 19 points and 9 rebounds while Jonah Mathews scored 16 and hit 4 3-pointers as USC defeated Washington, 62-56, to snap a 3-game losing streak on Feb. 13. The win avenged the Trojans' 72-40 loss in Seattle on Jan. 5 and also ended USC's 4-game head-to-head skid against the Huskies. USC trailed 30-25 at halftime after shooting 27.3 percent before the break, but started the second half on a 9-0 run to take the lead. UW responded with a 12-5 run to retake the lead at 42-39 with 12:37 remaining. USC then took control of the game by outscoring the Huskies 19-6 and outrebounding them 13-8 over the next 9:50 to open up a 10-point lead at 58-48 with 2:47 remaining to secure the win. Onyeka Okongwu (concussion) and Kyle Sturdivant (bereavement) did not play and Ethan Anderson left the game early in the second half with a left knee contusion. Isaiah Mobley started in Okongwu's place and had 10 points and seven rebounds. USC shot just 35.8 percent from the field, but held UW to 35.0 percent shooting, including 25.8 percent in the second half. USC had a season-low 6 turnovers, one game after committing 24 at ASU, its most in a game since the 2009 season. USC had 18 assists on 24 baskets and improved to 10-0 this season when registering 17 or more assists. There was a jersey recognition ceremony at half time for DeMar DeRozan.
COLORADO ON DECK -- The Colorado Buffaloes (19-6, 8-4) are coming off a 68-60 loss at Oregon on Feb. 13 and will play at Oregon State on Feb. 15 before hosting USC on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. PT. McKinley Wright (13.6 ppg), Tyler Bey (13.2 ppg) and D'Shawn Schwartz (11.3 ppg) are all averaging in double figures in scoring. Colorado is 12-2 at home this season. USC lost 78-57 vs. Colorado on Feb. 1 at the Galen Center. Colorado leads the all-time series 12-7 and has won three straight against USC. USC has won two of its last three games at Colorado.
BOARD BROTHERS -- USC forwards Nick Rakocevic (8.6) and Onyeka Okongwu (8.9) are one of five pairs of teammates in Division I averaging 8.6 rebounds or more per game. The other schools with a tandem of rebounders averaging 8.6 rebounds or more per game are Eastern Washington, Saint Louis, West Virginia and William & Mary.
THE SURGING SENIOR -- Senior guard Jonah Mathews was held to 6 points at Arizona on Feb.6, snapping a seven-game streak of scoring in double figures, but bounced back with 22 at Arizona State on Feb. 8 and 16 points in the win over Washington on Feb. 13. In the last 10 games Mathews has averaged 15.1 points (151 points). Mathews has also made 41.3 percent of his three-point shots in that stretch (26-for-63) and 83.8 percent of his free throws (31-for-37).
SPRING FORWARD -- The game on Feb. 27 vs. Arizona has been changed to a 7 p.m. start and will air on ESPN.
ENFIELD'S WINNING WAYS -- USC head coach Andy Enfield has led USC to 128 victories which ranks fifth on USC's all-time list, four behind Henry Bibby who led USC to 132 wins. Sam Berry is the winningest coach in USC history at 260, followed by Forrest Twogood at 251 and Bob Boyd at 216. USC has won 105 games combined in the last five seasons, the winningest five-year stretch in school history.
TURNING UP THE DEFENSE -- Despite Colorado becoming the first opponent to shoot over 50 percent from the floor against USC this season on Feb. 1 (51.9 percent), USC's defense has held its last 14 opponents to a combined 38.6 shooting percentage (330-for-855). For the year, USC is holding the opposition to 39.0 percent shooting which ranks 24th in the country. Also in the last 14 games combined, USC's opponents are shooting 29.1 percent (90-for-309) from three point range. USC's opponents had made 35.6 percent of its shots from beyond the arc during the first 11 games of the season.
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