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  • USC Trojans Survive A Scare From Upstart Washington State, Downing The Cougars, 68-61

USC Trojans Survive A Scare From Upstart Washington State, Downing The Cougars, 68-61

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Basketball

USC Men's Basketball (10-1, 1-1 Big Ten) pulled out a gritty 68-61 win against the Washington State Cougars (3-8) in the Galen Center on Sunday, Dec. 14.

The Trojans fended off second-half Cougar comebacks with a strong showing in the paint. Thirty-two points for USC came from down low, and the Trojans went 27-34 at the free-throw line. USC outrebounded Washington State 35-28, and both teams shot just over 39% from the field.

Jacob Cofie racked up a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, marking his third double-double. He was joined in scoring by Chad Baker-Mazara's 19 points and Ezra Ausar's 13 points. Jaden Brownell set a season-high with five boards, and Jordan Marsh's five assists tied his season-high.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Off the tip, USC scored on its first possession off a slam from Jacob Cofie, who scored eight of USC's first 10 points as the Trojans took an early 10-7 lead. At 11:26, Washington State dropped in a layup to tie the game 11-11, which was the last field goal it would hit for the next four minutes. USC went on an overwhelming 15-0 run, sparked by Jordan Marsh's lefty floater.

In the double-figure surge, Chad Baker-Mazara and Cofie combined for the next 13 points, earning a 26-11 lead at 7:30. The Cougars struck from the three-point line to break their scoring drought, but USC answered with free throws from Ezra Ausar and Baker-Mazara to tug the Trojans along 30-14 at 5:35. In the last three minutes, Washington State carved a nine-point stint, finding its scoring touch beyond the arc. Despite back-to-back triples from the Cougars, USC led 33-26 at halftime.

Washington State struck first to open the second frame, cutting into the deficit steadily to make it 34-33 at 18:31. After Ausar's made free throw, Cofie found Ausar at the rim. His successful three-point play gave USC a needed boost, and Marsh kept it rolling for the Trojans with a splash from downtown to make it 40-35. Cofie continued to deliver in the second half — on his way to a double-double — collecting a couple of lobs from Marsh to make it 47-40 at 11:33. The Cougars pulled themselves within three with consistent drives to the basket.

With under nine minutes to go, Marsh came up with a crafty layup to end the Trojans' four-minute field-goal scoring drought. Following a Cougar jumper, Brownell sank two free throws, and Baker-Mazara finished with the soft touch at the elbow to put USC up 53-46. Both teams traded bonus shots down a two-minute stretch, broken up by a bucket from Brownell in transition. A couple of free throws and a three-pointer revived Washington State, bringing the score to 61-58. All Cougar hopes were then crushed by a monster chase-down block by Baker-Mazara at the 1:20 mark. The Trojans held onto their lead as the seconds ticked down, hitting five straight free throws to earn their 10th win of the season with a 68-61 victory.

UP NEXT
USC's non-conference homestand continues with a home game against UTSA on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Fans can watch on Big Ten Network or listen through ESPN LA 710.