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Photo by: Percy Anderson
USC Travels To Face Crosstown Rival UCLA Saturday
January 30, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (17-6, 8-2) will play at the UCLA Bruins (15-7, 6-4) at Pauley Pavilion in Westwood, Calif. on Feb. 3 at 3:00 p.m. USC has won a season-high six consecutive games, all in conference. USC had not won six consecutive conference games since winning 9-straight in the 1992 season. USC's 8-2 start to conference play is its best since also beginning 8-2 at the start of the 2002 Pac-10 season. USC last started 9-2 in conference play in 1992 and last began 8-3 in the 2007 season.
BREAKING DOWN UCLA -- UCLA is coming off an 89-73 home win over Stanford on Jan. 27. The Bruins are 11-2 at home this season. UCLA is led in scoring by guard Aaron Holiday who is scoring 19.0 points per game. USC and UCLA split the regular season games last year with each team winning its home game, before UCLA defeated USC 76-74 in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. UCLA leads the all-time series 140-108, which reflects one win vacated by USC in 2008 due to NCAA penalty
USC SURGES PAST CALIFORNIA -- Jonah Mathews and Elijah Stewart each scored 16 points and USC shrugged off a poor first half of shooting to defeat California 77-59 at the Galen Center on Jan. 28. Mathews hit a three-pointer with nine seconds remaining in the first half to give USC a 31-29 lead at halftime, despite making only 32.4 percent of its shots before the break. Stewart made three-straight three-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half and USC never looked back, making 58.6 percent of its shots after the break. Stewart and Mathews both made four three-pointers and Stewart scored all 16 of his points in the second half. USC forced 20 turnovers, made 10 steals and held Cal to 38.6 percent shooting for the game. USC's bench outscored the Bears' bench 31-4. Bennie Boatwright missed his second consecutive game with soreness in his right foot.
ASU ON DECK - USC's next game will be at No. 25/No. 23 Arizona State (16-5, 4-5) in Tempe, Ariz. on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. PT. The Sun Devils won their first 12 games this season and are 10-2 in home games. Guard Tra Holder leads ASU in scoring at 19.3 points per game. ASU will play at Washington and Washington State this week before hosting USC. The Trojans lead the all-time series 53-40, which reflects two wins vacated by USC due to NCAA penalty. USC has lost five consecutive games at ASU by an average of 4.4 points, last year falling 83-82.
DEFENSIVE CHARGE -- Since allowing Washington to shoot 67.3 percent in a loss on Dec. 29, the highest shooting percentage by a Trojan opponent since 2003, USC has combined to hold its last nine opponents to a 42.6 shooting percentage (212-for-498). USC has held the opposition to an average of 66.1 points in that span (595 total). In the nine games, USC has registered 74 steals and forced 151 turnovers. USC is 8-0 this season when holding the opposition to under 40 percent shooting and 10-1 when forcing the opposition into 15 or more turnovers.
HATE TO TURN THE PAGE -- USC went 7-1 in the month of January, its most wins in the month since going 7-2 during the 1982 season. The last time USC had a better Jannuary winning percentage was when it went 6-0 in the 1973 season.
KEEP THE BAGS PACKED -- Today''s game begins a stretch of three-straight and five of seven games on the road for the Trojans. USC is 4-2 in road games this season, 3-1 in conference play.
J-MAC ENTERS PAC-12 TOP 10 IN CAREER ASSISTS -- USC senior guard Jordan McLaughlin registered 10 assists vs. California on Jan. 28 to give hime 634 in his career, 10th place on the Pac-12 all-time assist list.
1. 938 - Gary Payton, OSU 4. 780 - Brevin Knight, Stan. 7. 663 - Damon Stoudamire, Ariz.
2. 833 - Pooh Richardson, UCLA 5. 779 - Brandon Granville, USC 8. 652 - Tyus Edney, UCLA
3. 810 - Russel Brown, Ariz. 6. 670 - Mustafa Shakur, Ariz. 9. 636 - Darrick Martin, UCLA
THE BENCH GANG -- As the Trojans have gotten healthier following early-season injuries, the bench has started to show the team's depth. Since Derryck Thornton returned to the lineup on Dec. 31 vs. Washington State, meaning the team was basically at full strength, USC's bench has outscored the opponent's bench 238-144. USC has averaged 26.4 points off the bench the past nine games, after averging 13.0 bench points in the first 14 games. USC now leads its opponents on bench points for the season at 410-379.
JONAH FROM THE ARC -- Jonah Mathews has made 56.7 percent (17-for-30) of his shots from beyond the arc over the past six games. For the year, Mathews has made 44.3 percent of his three-pointers (35-for-79) which ranks sixth among conference players. Mathews has come off the bench the last six games and has averaged 12.3 points per game (74 total points), while making 2.8 three-pointers per game in that stretch.
PROTECTING THE ROCK -- USC ranks 12th in the country with a 1.51 assist to turnover ratio through games of Jan. 29. USC also ranks tied for 18th in fewest turnovers per game at 11.0 per game. USC leads all Pac-12 teams in both categories.
BREAKING DOWN UCLA -- UCLA is coming off an 89-73 home win over Stanford on Jan. 27. The Bruins are 11-2 at home this season. UCLA is led in scoring by guard Aaron Holiday who is scoring 19.0 points per game. USC and UCLA split the regular season games last year with each team winning its home game, before UCLA defeated USC 76-74 in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. UCLA leads the all-time series 140-108, which reflects one win vacated by USC in 2008 due to NCAA penalty
USC SURGES PAST CALIFORNIA -- Jonah Mathews and Elijah Stewart each scored 16 points and USC shrugged off a poor first half of shooting to defeat California 77-59 at the Galen Center on Jan. 28. Mathews hit a three-pointer with nine seconds remaining in the first half to give USC a 31-29 lead at halftime, despite making only 32.4 percent of its shots before the break. Stewart made three-straight three-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half and USC never looked back, making 58.6 percent of its shots after the break. Stewart and Mathews both made four three-pointers and Stewart scored all 16 of his points in the second half. USC forced 20 turnovers, made 10 steals and held Cal to 38.6 percent shooting for the game. USC's bench outscored the Bears' bench 31-4. Bennie Boatwright missed his second consecutive game with soreness in his right foot.
ASU ON DECK - USC's next game will be at No. 25/No. 23 Arizona State (16-5, 4-5) in Tempe, Ariz. on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. PT. The Sun Devils won their first 12 games this season and are 10-2 in home games. Guard Tra Holder leads ASU in scoring at 19.3 points per game. ASU will play at Washington and Washington State this week before hosting USC. The Trojans lead the all-time series 53-40, which reflects two wins vacated by USC due to NCAA penalty. USC has lost five consecutive games at ASU by an average of 4.4 points, last year falling 83-82.
DEFENSIVE CHARGE -- Since allowing Washington to shoot 67.3 percent in a loss on Dec. 29, the highest shooting percentage by a Trojan opponent since 2003, USC has combined to hold its last nine opponents to a 42.6 shooting percentage (212-for-498). USC has held the opposition to an average of 66.1 points in that span (595 total). In the nine games, USC has registered 74 steals and forced 151 turnovers. USC is 8-0 this season when holding the opposition to under 40 percent shooting and 10-1 when forcing the opposition into 15 or more turnovers.
HATE TO TURN THE PAGE -- USC went 7-1 in the month of January, its most wins in the month since going 7-2 during the 1982 season. The last time USC had a better Jannuary winning percentage was when it went 6-0 in the 1973 season.
KEEP THE BAGS PACKED -- Today''s game begins a stretch of three-straight and five of seven games on the road for the Trojans. USC is 4-2 in road games this season, 3-1 in conference play.
J-MAC ENTERS PAC-12 TOP 10 IN CAREER ASSISTS -- USC senior guard Jordan McLaughlin registered 10 assists vs. California on Jan. 28 to give hime 634 in his career, 10th place on the Pac-12 all-time assist list.
1. 938 - Gary Payton, OSU 4. 780 - Brevin Knight, Stan. 7. 663 - Damon Stoudamire, Ariz.
2. 833 - Pooh Richardson, UCLA 5. 779 - Brandon Granville, USC 8. 652 - Tyus Edney, UCLA
3. 810 - Russel Brown, Ariz. 6. 670 - Mustafa Shakur, Ariz. 9. 636 - Darrick Martin, UCLA
THE BENCH GANG -- As the Trojans have gotten healthier following early-season injuries, the bench has started to show the team's depth. Since Derryck Thornton returned to the lineup on Dec. 31 vs. Washington State, meaning the team was basically at full strength, USC's bench has outscored the opponent's bench 238-144. USC has averaged 26.4 points off the bench the past nine games, after averging 13.0 bench points in the first 14 games. USC now leads its opponents on bench points for the season at 410-379.
JONAH FROM THE ARC -- Jonah Mathews has made 56.7 percent (17-for-30) of his shots from beyond the arc over the past six games. For the year, Mathews has made 44.3 percent of his three-pointers (35-for-79) which ranks sixth among conference players. Mathews has come off the bench the last six games and has averaged 12.3 points per game (74 total points), while making 2.8 three-pointers per game in that stretch.
PROTECTING THE ROCK -- USC ranks 12th in the country with a 1.51 assist to turnover ratio through games of Jan. 29. USC also ranks tied for 18th in fewest turnovers per game at 11.0 per game. USC leads all Pac-12 teams in both categories.
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