Second half struggles doom WSU once again
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Byron
Wesley scored 20 points and J.T. Terrell added 12 points
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before fouling out as USC held off Washington State 72-68 Thursday
night.
Wesley sparked the Trojans early with 13 first-half points, but it was
Terrell who ignited the Trojans (10-13, 5-5 Pac 12) when they needed it
most. Terrell scored all 12 of his points during a 10-minute stretch of
the second half. His 3-pointer with 5:26 left put USC up 56-53, and the
Trojans held the lead the rest of the way.
Ari Stewart added 11 points for USC, and Jio Fontan had 10
points and a game-high 11 assists.
Washington State's Brock Motum, who began the night ranked
third in the Pac-12 averaging 18.3 points per game, scored 15 points on
6-of-16 shooting. DaVonte Lacy led all scorers with 21 points
and his backcourt mate Mike Ladd had 16 for the Cougars
(11-12, 2-8).
USC scored two quick buckets to start the second half to take a 34-33
lead, but Washington State responded with an 8-0 run to take its
biggest lead of the game at 41-34. The Trojans, though, took advantage
of Motum's uncharacteristically poor shooting night and managed to
regain the lead.
Terrell was good on 3-pointers on consecutive trips down the court for
the Trojans, who went up 49-47 with 7:45 to play. He hit his third 3 at
the 5:26 mark to give USC the lead for good, but fouled out soon after.
USC forged ahead early in the game behind Wesley, who led all scorers
with 13 first-half points. Stewart added eight points for the Trojans
in the opening 20 minutes, including five points on consecutive
possessions midway through the half that gave USC its biggest lead of
the half, 21-14.
The Cougars, though, responded with a 19-7 run behind Lacy and Ladd to
take a 33-28 lead. Lacy (nine points) and Ladd (eight points) led the
way offensively for the Cougars, who made 6 of 12 3-pointers in the
opening half.
The Trojans got to within 33-30 at the half when Wesley scored on a
breakaway layup at the halftime buzzer.
Motum was held to six points in the first half and did not have a
rebound.