USC
17-8,9-5Pac-12
Oregon State
10-16,4-11Pac-12
USC Men's Basketball Falls At Oregon State, 61-58, Despite Vince Iwuchukwu's 19 Points
February 11, 2023 | Men's Basketball
Vince Iwuchukwu finished with 19 points and seven rebounds — both career-highs — but they weren't enough as USC men's basketball fell at Oregon State, 61-58 on Saturday.
Iwuchukwu, who played in his ninth game of the season, also played a career-high 25 minutes. The freshman forward underwent cardiac arrest during an offseason team workout in July.
.@chimapaaa's got a new career best with 15 points after the hoop and harm!
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 12, 2023
📺: @Pac12Network
📱: https://t.co/3BlAR8YPzb pic.twitter.com/K207bayo1V
Drew Peterson contributed 11 points with eight rebounds and two assists. Boogie Ellis and Kobe Johnson each added nine points.
With USC (17-8, 9-5 Pac-12) down one, Iwuchukwu scored a layup and made two free throws that gave the Trojans a one-point lead with 1:09 remaining in the game. Iwuchkuwu blocked Glenn Taylor Jr.'s shot but Taylor Jr. scored on a second-chance layup to retake the edge for Oregon State (10-16, 4-11 Pac-12).
USC had a chance to take back the lead but the Trojans lost the ball out of bounds after trying to grab and offensive rebound. USC fouled Jordan Pope on the Beavers' next possession that led to two made free throws.
On the Trojans' last possession, Ellis had an adequate look with a 3-point attempt from the wing that hit the back of the rim and missed.
The Trojans, which have missed key rotation players Joshua Morgan and Reese Dixon-Waters the last three games, shot a season-low 32.1 percent and went winless on their Beaver State road trip. USC entered Saturday ranked 57th in the NCAA's NET Rankings and are fourth in the Pac-12 standings.
Taylor Jr. had 18 points and Pope scored 16 for Oregon State, which snapped a three-game losing streak. The two teams played a heavily contested first half until Oregon State finished the half on a 7-0 run to take a 30-25 lead. Oregon State then scored the first six points of the second half to open up a 36-25 lead and the Trojans were faced with an uphill battle the rest of the way.
The Trojans took the first meeting against the Beavers at Galen Center on Dec. 4.
USC returns to Galen Center next Thursday when it hosts California, followed by another home contest against Stanford on Feb. 18. Tickets to all Trojans home games start at $20.
