USC
21-8,13-5Pac-12
Utah
17-13,10-9Pac-12
USC Men's Basketball Beats Utah, 62-49, For Key Quad 1 Road Win
February 25, 2023 | Men's Basketball
Boogie Ellis scored a game-high 16 points and Drew Peterson flirted with a triple-double to lead USC men's basketball to its fourth-straight win with a 62-49 victory at Utah on Saturday.
The Trojans (21-8, 13-5 Pac-12) picked up a key Quad 1 win against the Utes (17-13, 10-9 Pac-12), which ranks 59th in the NCAA NET rankings. USC is projected to make its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth in many bracket projections. The Trojans also clinched a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament and will begin play on March 9.
Ellis went 4-of-8 from the 3-point line and added four rebounds and three assists. Drew Peterson scored 14 with eight assists and seven boards.
Kobe Johnson was the third Trojan who scored in double-digits with 12 points. Reese Dixon-Waters had nine points and six rebounds. Joshua Morgan also grabbed six boards and blocked three shots to lead the defensive effort for the Trojans, which held Utah to season-lows in points and its second-lowest field goal percentage.
USC took control of the game early with an 8-0 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Johnson and Ellis. The Trojans got another boost with a 6-0 spurt later in the first half, but Utah responded with a 10-3 run in the final minutes of the period. USC led 34-28 at halftime.
Drew Three-terson hits another to get to 10 points on the night!
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 26, 2023
He dropped 23 here last year, including 5 threes 👀
📺: ESPNU
📱: https://t.co/RxoarZCNzo pic.twitter.com/4T3yvw0RhP
Utah gained momentum at the beginning of the second half with a 6-0 run. The Utes cut the Trojans' lead to two points with 11:59 remaining, but Johnson hit a 3-pointer and Ellis had a layup to squash the Utes' comeback bid.
Vincent Iwuchukwu made three consecutive free throws that sparked the Trojans' 10-3 run that lasted until the game's final buzzer.
Drew throwing some crazy passes tonight 👀@iamkobejohnson drains the corner three to send Utah fans packing!
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 26, 2023
📺: ESPNU
📱: https://t.co/RxoarZCNzo pic.twitter.com/y6WueEiQ7O
The Trojans return to Galen Center next week for its final homestand against No. 7 Arizona on Thursday (8pm PT/ESPN) and Arizona State on March 4 (8pm PT/FS1). Tickets to all USC home games start at $20.
