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Photo by: Percy Anderson
USC Host Stanford Sunday Seeking First 2-0 Pac-12 Start Since 2010
January 05, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (8-6, 1-0) will host the Stanford Cardinal (7-6, 0-1) at the Galen Center on Jan. 6 at 5 p.m. USC has won a season-best three consecutive games for a second time this season. USC is attempting to win its first two Pac-12 contests for the first time since the 2010 season.
BREAKING DOWN STANFORD - The Stanford Cardinal (7-6, 0-1) are coming off a 92-70 loss at UCLA on Jan. 3. The 92 points allowed were a season high. Sophomore forward KZ Okpala leads Stanford with a 17.0 scoring average. USC split the season series with Stanford last season with each team winning its home game, Stanford winning 77-76 on Jan. 7 when Daejon Davis' 55-foot heave at the buzzer swished through the net and USC won 69-64 behind 18 points by Jonah Mathews on Jan. 24. USC trails in the all-time series 124-126* (1 USC win vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 125-126).
USC DEFEATS CALIFORNIA TO OPEN PAC-12 PLAY - Nick Rakocevic scored a career-high 27 points and Derryck Thornton registered his first career double-double to lead USC to an 82-73 victory in its Pac-12 opener vs. California at the Galen Center on Jan. 3. Rakocevic scored 20 of his points in the second half by making all 10 of his field goal attempts after the break. Thornton had career highs with 12 assists and 7 rebounds and didn't commit a turnover. He also scored 13 points for his first career double-double. Bennie Boatwright chipped in with 19 points. USC led 37-33 at the break and by 15 points at 65-50 with 9:21 remaining, but the Golden Bears went on a 17-6 run to cut it to 71-67 after Justice Sueing was fouled on a three-point attempt and sank all three free throws with 2:45 remaining. Shaqquan Aaron answered for the Trojans with a three-point basket with 2:19 remaining to make it 74-67 and USC held on for the win. USC made 53.4 percent of its field goal attempts, but only 57.7 percent of its free throws. The Trojans has 21 assists and turned the ball over just five times. The Trojans had only seven scholarship players available for the game due to injuries.
TRIP TO OREGON STATE ON DECK - USC's next game will be at Oregon State (8-4, 0-0) at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. Oregon State is coming off an 80-59 home win over Central Connecticut on Dec. 29 and will play at Oregon on Jan. 5 before facing USC. Redshirt junior forward Tres Tinkle leads the Beavers in both scoring (19.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg). USC has won its last six meetings with OSU and leads the all-time series 73-63* (2 USC wins were vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 75-63).
SHARING IS CARING - USC has averaged 20.5 assists in its wins and 11.2 assists in its losses. USC had 21 assists in its last game vs. California on Jan. 3 and has had 15 or more assists in nine of its first 14 games. USC leads Pac-12 teams with 231 assists. Derryck Thornton leads USC and is fourth in the conference with 66 assists. USC's 1.3 assist to turnover ratio was tops in the Pac-12 entering Saturday's action.
THE "BOAT" SETTING SAIL - USC senior forward Bennie Boatwright has averaged 17.5 points (70 total), 7.3 rebounds (29 total) and 3.5 assists (14 total) in the last four games. He has also made 48.1 percent of his shots in the four games (26-for-54).
MATHEWS THE MARKSMAN - Junior Jonah Mathews leads USC with 30 three-point baskets made this season, connecting at a 40.0 percent clip. He has made 9 of 16 three-point attempts (56.3 percent) in the last three games. His 30 makes from beyond the arc are tied for second in the Pac-12 entering Saturday's action. Mathews now has 130 career three-point baskets made which ranks 15th on USC's all-time list, three behind Anthony Pendleton who is in 14th with 133.
RAKOCEVIC HAS BEEN A FORCE - Junior forward Nick Rakocevic scored a career-high 27 points vs. California on Jan. 3, making 12 of 14 shots. He had 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds vs. Oklahoma on Dec. 15 for his sixth double-double of the season. He is tied for 19th in the country in double-doubles and his 10.1 rebounds per game this season ranks 15th nationally and tops in the Pac-12. Rakocevic is also averaging a double-double by averaging 15.2 points per game. He began the season with three consecutive double-doubles before getting 9 points and 9 rebounds vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 19, snapping a streak of five consecutive double-doubles dating back to last 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.
CHALLENGING COMPETITION - The six teams USC has lost to this season (Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Nevada, TCU, Oklahoma & Santa Clara) have a combined 66-13 record. USC has also played three teams with one loss or less, including current No. 6 Nevada, No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 23 Oklahoma. There are only 18 teams remaining with one loss or less this season.
BREAKING DOWN STANFORD - The Stanford Cardinal (7-6, 0-1) are coming off a 92-70 loss at UCLA on Jan. 3. The 92 points allowed were a season high. Sophomore forward KZ Okpala leads Stanford with a 17.0 scoring average. USC split the season series with Stanford last season with each team winning its home game, Stanford winning 77-76 on Jan. 7 when Daejon Davis' 55-foot heave at the buzzer swished through the net and USC won 69-64 behind 18 points by Jonah Mathews on Jan. 24. USC trails in the all-time series 124-126* (1 USC win vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 125-126).
USC DEFEATS CALIFORNIA TO OPEN PAC-12 PLAY - Nick Rakocevic scored a career-high 27 points and Derryck Thornton registered his first career double-double to lead USC to an 82-73 victory in its Pac-12 opener vs. California at the Galen Center on Jan. 3. Rakocevic scored 20 of his points in the second half by making all 10 of his field goal attempts after the break. Thornton had career highs with 12 assists and 7 rebounds and didn't commit a turnover. He also scored 13 points for his first career double-double. Bennie Boatwright chipped in with 19 points. USC led 37-33 at the break and by 15 points at 65-50 with 9:21 remaining, but the Golden Bears went on a 17-6 run to cut it to 71-67 after Justice Sueing was fouled on a three-point attempt and sank all three free throws with 2:45 remaining. Shaqquan Aaron answered for the Trojans with a three-point basket with 2:19 remaining to make it 74-67 and USC held on for the win. USC made 53.4 percent of its field goal attempts, but only 57.7 percent of its free throws. The Trojans has 21 assists and turned the ball over just five times. The Trojans had only seven scholarship players available for the game due to injuries.
TRIP TO OREGON STATE ON DECK - USC's next game will be at Oregon State (8-4, 0-0) at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. Oregon State is coming off an 80-59 home win over Central Connecticut on Dec. 29 and will play at Oregon on Jan. 5 before facing USC. Redshirt junior forward Tres Tinkle leads the Beavers in both scoring (19.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg). USC has won its last six meetings with OSU and leads the all-time series 73-63* (2 USC wins were vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 75-63).
SHARING IS CARING - USC has averaged 20.5 assists in its wins and 11.2 assists in its losses. USC had 21 assists in its last game vs. California on Jan. 3 and has had 15 or more assists in nine of its first 14 games. USC leads Pac-12 teams with 231 assists. Derryck Thornton leads USC and is fourth in the conference with 66 assists. USC's 1.3 assist to turnover ratio was tops in the Pac-12 entering Saturday's action.
THE "BOAT" SETTING SAIL - USC senior forward Bennie Boatwright has averaged 17.5 points (70 total), 7.3 rebounds (29 total) and 3.5 assists (14 total) in the last four games. He has also made 48.1 percent of his shots in the four games (26-for-54).
MATHEWS THE MARKSMAN - Junior Jonah Mathews leads USC with 30 three-point baskets made this season, connecting at a 40.0 percent clip. He has made 9 of 16 three-point attempts (56.3 percent) in the last three games. His 30 makes from beyond the arc are tied for second in the Pac-12 entering Saturday's action. Mathews now has 130 career three-point baskets made which ranks 15th on USC's all-time list, three behind Anthony Pendleton who is in 14th with 133.
RAKOCEVIC HAS BEEN A FORCE - Junior forward Nick Rakocevic scored a career-high 27 points vs. California on Jan. 3, making 12 of 14 shots. He had 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds vs. Oklahoma on Dec. 15 for his sixth double-double of the season. He is tied for 19th in the country in double-doubles and his 10.1 rebounds per game this season ranks 15th nationally and tops in the Pac-12. Rakocevic is also averaging a double-double by averaging 15.2 points per game. He began the season with three consecutive double-doubles before getting 9 points and 9 rebounds vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 19, snapping a streak of five consecutive double-doubles dating back to last 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.
CHALLENGING COMPETITION - The six teams USC has lost to this season (Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Nevada, TCU, Oklahoma & Santa Clara) have a combined 66-13 record. USC has also played three teams with one loss or less, including current No. 6 Nevada, No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 23 Oklahoma. There are only 18 teams remaining with one loss or less this season.
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