Written by Caroline Deisley and Sarah Bergstrom, USC blog contributor
The USC men's basketball team kicked off the Pac-12 Tournament on an extremely high note, dominating crosstown rival UCLA, 95-71, to advance to the quarterfinals. This is the Trojans' first three-game sweep of the Bruins since 1942.
Click here for a full recap from the Trojans' first-round victory.
Double-Digit Domination
The Trojans opened up the game on a 14-2 run and never looked back, holding a double-digit lead for XX. USC once again owned its season-long slogan - It Takes A Team - finishing with six players in double figures. Freshman Bennie Boatwright led the team with 19 points followed by Jordan McLaughlin (18), Nikola Jovanovic (16), Julian Jacobs (11), Chimezie Metu (10) and Katin Reinhardt (10). USC also dominated the boards, outrebounding UCLA a whopping 52-29. Wednesday's opening round victory was the Trojans' largest margin of victory over the Bruins since 1945.
"It feels really good," said Jovanovic. "This Wednesday was a whole new start to the season. We didn't care what we did in the regular season. We knew what we had to do to win games in order to stay in the tournament. Every day is a fight. We're just going to go game by game."
Freshmen Phenoms
It didn't look like the first Pac-12 Tournament game for freshmen Boatwright and Metu who lit up the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Boatwright led the team in scoring with 19 points, hitting five threes and collecting nine rebounds. Metu added the thrills, putting on a show for the Las Vegas crowd with an assortment of unbelievable dunks. He recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
"I had a feeling both would play well," said head coach Andy Enfield of the dynamite duo. "Bennie was terrific making those threes and then Chimezie came in with his career-high in rebounds. He played a key part in our defensive scheme. The freshman played beyond their years this evening."
On to the Next One
After an emotional win, the Trojans must now compose themselves and prepare for their impending second-round battle on Thursday night. USC will square off against Utah at 6 p.m., looking to erase the sour taste of an 80-69 regular season loss to the Utes. Be sure to follow @USC_Hoops for photos, in-game updates and more from the Pac-12 Tournament.
Check out the SnappyTV highlights from USC's emphatic first-round victory...
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