University Southern California Trojans
Wednesday, November 28
Los Angeles, Calif.
8:00 PM
USC
vs
Long Beach State
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Hali Helfgott
USC To Host Long Beach State Wednesday
November 27, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (4-2) will host the Long Beach State 49ers (2-5) at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif. on Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. The game will be part of a doubleheader as the undefeated USC women's team (6-0) will play Fresno State at 5 p.m.
USC GETS COMEBACK WIN OVER CSU BAKERSFIELD - Jordan Usher scored a career-high 22 points to lead five Trojans in double figures in a come-from-behind 90-75 win over CSU Bakersfield at the Galen Center on Nov. 25. USC trailed 46-44 at halftime and by seven points with just over 11 minutes remaining, but closed the game on a 32-10 run. Elijah Weaver put the Trojans ahead for good at 71-68 with a 3-pointer with 6:26 remaining. In his first career start, Weaver finished with seven points and five assists. USC used an 11-0 run with 5 minutes remaining to open up an 84-70 lead to put the game away. Usher began the run with a pair of jumpers and then Bennie Boatwright hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the game away. Boatwright finished with 19 points, while Shaqquan Aaron added 18, Jonah Mathews 13 and Nick Rakocevic 11 points, four assists and four blocks. USC made 55.8 percent of its shots, while holding CSU Bakersfield to 41.3 percent, including 30.3 percent in the second half. USC had 22 assists, including 12 assists on 15 second-half baskets.
BREAKING DOWN LONG BEACH STATE - Long Beach State (2-5) is coming off a 75-72 home loss to Oregon State on Nov. 25. Guard Deishuan Booker leads LBSU in scoring with a 16.0 points per game average. The game against USC will be LBSU's fourth against a Pac-12 team, with losses at UCLA (91-80), at Arizona State (90-58) and vs. OSU (75-72). LBSU was 15-18 last season and returned nine lettermen and four starters from that team. USC leads the all-time series 8-6, losing the last matchup 72-71 in Long Beach on Dec. 19, 2013.
NO. 5 NEVADA ON DECK - USC's next game will be against No. 5 Nevada on Dec. 1 at the Galen Center at 1:30 p.m. Nevada is 7-0 after defeating Loyola Chicago 79-65 on Nov. 27. Nevada also won the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational final with a 110-87 win vs. UMass on Nov. 23. Four Nevada players are averaging double figures in points, led by senior Caleb Martin at 21.0 points per game. Nevada returned four starters from the 2017-18 team which advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to Loyola Chicago 69-68 on March 22. USC leads the all-time series 2-0, winning the last meeting 88-87 in overtime on Jan. 3, 1976.
SHARP-SHOOTING SENIORS - USC seniors Bennie Boatwright (56.5 percent) and Shaqquan Aaron (47.1 percent) have combined to make 52.5 percent of their three-point attempts this season (21-for-40). They are also shooting a combined 53.3 percent overall (48-for-90).
RAKOCEVIC HAS BEEN A FORCE ON THE BOARDS - Junior forward Nick Rakocevic has averaged 11.7 rebounds per game this season, sixth nationally and tops in the Pac-12. He has also averaged 13.8 points per game, to average a double-double. He scored 9 points and had 9 rebounds vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 19, snapping a streak of five consecutive double-doubles dating back to last season (2 to end the 2017-18 season). He became the first USC player to record three double-doubles to start a season since Sam Clancy did it to start the 2001-02 season. His five consecutive double-doubles were the most by a USC player since Nikola Vucevic had eight-straight during the 2011 season.
BOATWRIGHT NETS 1,000TH CAREER POINT - USC senior Bennie Boatwright scored 14 points vs. TTU on Nov. 19 to give him 1,008 career points scored. He then scored 22 vs. Missouri State on Nov. 20 and 19 vs. CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 25 to give him 1,049 career points. He ranks 38th on USC's all-time scoring list, 14 behind Nikola Vucevic who is in 37th place with 1,063 career points scored as a Trojan. Boatwright now leads USC with a 17.8 points.
IT WAS INEVITABLE - USC's junior sharp-shooting guard Jonah Mathews has made 59.3 percent of his shots in the last three games (16-for-27) including 55.0 percent from three-point range (11-for-20). He was 11-for-32 (34.3 percent) in USC's first three games, including 4-for-16 (25 percent) from three-point range.
TORCHING THE TWINE - USC made 17 of 33 three-point attempts (51.5 percent) vs. Missouri State on Nov. 20. That was the most three- point baskets made by a USC team in a game since setting a school record with 20 at Oregon State on Jan. 29, 2000. USC has had two games this season shooting over 50 percent from beyond the arc and has hit at least seven three-pointers in five of six games. In the last three games, USC has made a total of 36 three-point baskets and hit at a 46.8 percentage from distance (36-for-77).
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USC GETS COMEBACK WIN OVER CSU BAKERSFIELD - Jordan Usher scored a career-high 22 points to lead five Trojans in double figures in a come-from-behind 90-75 win over CSU Bakersfield at the Galen Center on Nov. 25. USC trailed 46-44 at halftime and by seven points with just over 11 minutes remaining, but closed the game on a 32-10 run. Elijah Weaver put the Trojans ahead for good at 71-68 with a 3-pointer with 6:26 remaining. In his first career start, Weaver finished with seven points and five assists. USC used an 11-0 run with 5 minutes remaining to open up an 84-70 lead to put the game away. Usher began the run with a pair of jumpers and then Bennie Boatwright hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the game away. Boatwright finished with 19 points, while Shaqquan Aaron added 18, Jonah Mathews 13 and Nick Rakocevic 11 points, four assists and four blocks. USC made 55.8 percent of its shots, while holding CSU Bakersfield to 41.3 percent, including 30.3 percent in the second half. USC had 22 assists, including 12 assists on 15 second-half baskets.
BREAKING DOWN LONG BEACH STATE - Long Beach State (2-5) is coming off a 75-72 home loss to Oregon State on Nov. 25. Guard Deishuan Booker leads LBSU in scoring with a 16.0 points per game average. The game against USC will be LBSU's fourth against a Pac-12 team, with losses at UCLA (91-80), at Arizona State (90-58) and vs. OSU (75-72). LBSU was 15-18 last season and returned nine lettermen and four starters from that team. USC leads the all-time series 8-6, losing the last matchup 72-71 in Long Beach on Dec. 19, 2013.
NO. 5 NEVADA ON DECK - USC's next game will be against No. 5 Nevada on Dec. 1 at the Galen Center at 1:30 p.m. Nevada is 7-0 after defeating Loyola Chicago 79-65 on Nov. 27. Nevada also won the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational final with a 110-87 win vs. UMass on Nov. 23. Four Nevada players are averaging double figures in points, led by senior Caleb Martin at 21.0 points per game. Nevada returned four starters from the 2017-18 team which advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to Loyola Chicago 69-68 on March 22. USC leads the all-time series 2-0, winning the last meeting 88-87 in overtime on Jan. 3, 1976.
SHARP-SHOOTING SENIORS - USC seniors Bennie Boatwright (56.5 percent) and Shaqquan Aaron (47.1 percent) have combined to make 52.5 percent of their three-point attempts this season (21-for-40). They are also shooting a combined 53.3 percent overall (48-for-90).
RAKOCEVIC HAS BEEN A FORCE ON THE BOARDS - Junior forward Nick Rakocevic has averaged 11.7 rebounds per game this season, sixth nationally and tops in the Pac-12. He has also averaged 13.8 points per game, to average a double-double. He scored 9 points and had 9 rebounds vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 19, snapping a streak of five consecutive double-doubles dating back to last season (2 to end the 2017-18 season). He became the first USC player to record three double-doubles to start a season since Sam Clancy did it to start the 2001-02 season. His five consecutive double-doubles were the most by a USC player since Nikola Vucevic had eight-straight during the 2011 season.
BOATWRIGHT NETS 1,000TH CAREER POINT - USC senior Bennie Boatwright scored 14 points vs. TTU on Nov. 19 to give him 1,008 career points scored. He then scored 22 vs. Missouri State on Nov. 20 and 19 vs. CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 25 to give him 1,049 career points. He ranks 38th on USC's all-time scoring list, 14 behind Nikola Vucevic who is in 37th place with 1,063 career points scored as a Trojan. Boatwright now leads USC with a 17.8 points.
IT WAS INEVITABLE - USC's junior sharp-shooting guard Jonah Mathews has made 59.3 percent of his shots in the last three games (16-for-27) including 55.0 percent from three-point range (11-for-20). He was 11-for-32 (34.3 percent) in USC's first three games, including 4-for-16 (25 percent) from three-point range.
TORCHING THE TWINE - USC made 17 of 33 three-point attempts (51.5 percent) vs. Missouri State on Nov. 20. That was the most three- point baskets made by a USC team in a game since setting a school record with 20 at Oregon State on Jan. 29, 2000. USC has had two games this season shooting over 50 percent from beyond the arc and has hit at least seven three-pointers in five of six games. In the last three games, USC has made a total of 36 three-point baskets and hit at a 46.8 percentage from distance (36-for-77).
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