USC Travels To Nevada For First Road Game

The USC Trojans (3-0) will play the Nevada Wolfpack (2-1) at the Lawlor Events Center on Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. The game will air on the CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan and Bob Wenzel calling the action. USC has won its first three games of the 2019-20 season by 11 or more points. That last time the Trojans won three consecutive games by 11 or more points to start the season was the 2000-01 campaign.

BREAKING DOWN NEVADA -- Nevada is coming off an 80-73 home win over Texas-Arlington on Nov. 12, after splitting a pair of home games to open the season, falling 79-74 to Utah and then winning 72-67 vs. LMU. Guard Jalen Harris led Nevada with 24 points in the win vs. Texas-Arlington. In the first two games, guard Lindsey Drew averaged 27.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists to earn Mountain West Player of the Week honors. USC leads the all-time series 2-1, but Nevada defeated the Trojans 73-61 last season at the Galen Center. It will be USC's first road game of the season. The Trojans were 2-9 in road games last season. Nevada is 44-3 in its last 47 home games.

SENIORS LEAD USC OVER SOUTH DAKOTA STATE -- Nick Rakocevic posted a double-double and he and fellow senior Jonah Mathews surpassed the 1,000 career points scored mark during USC's 84-66 win over South Dakota State at the Galen Center on Nov. 12. Rakocevic matched a career high with 27 points and added 16 rebounds for his 21st career double-double. Mathews made 3 3-pointers and finished with 14 points, scoring his 1,000th career point with a jumper at the 12:38 mark of the second half. Just under 4 minutes later, Rakocevic hit a pair of FTs to surpass 1,000 career points. USC led 38-31 at halftime and had its lead cut to one point twice in the second half, but the Trojans always answered the bell, finishing on a 24-10 run to close out the game. USC had 12 steals and outscored SDSU 28-6 on points off turnovers. Onyeka Okongwu scored 12 points and had 8 rebounds to snap his double-double streak at two to begin his career.

THE "BIG O" MY -- Freshman forward Onyeka Okongwu scored 20 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and matched the school record with eight blocks in his collegiate debut vs. FAMU on Nov. 5. Okongwu also became the first USC freshman to post a double-double in his debut since Taj Gibson in 2006. He ranks tied for 25th in the country with 3.33 blocks per game and ranks tied for 12th in the country in offensive rebounds with 5.0 per game. Okongwu's 52 points scored are the most by a Trojan freshman in his first three games since O.J. Mayo scored 77 in 2007 (player participation later vacated due to NCAA penalty).

PEPPERDINE ON DECK -- USC will return home to host Pepperdine on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. Pepperdine (2-1) opened with a road loss at California (87-71), before defeating UC Irvine at home (77-73) and CSUN on the road (94-82). Pepperdine will play at Abilene Christian on Nov. 16 before facing the Trojans. The Waves have four players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore forward Kessler Edwards at 18.7 points per game. USC leads the all-time series with Pepperdine 5-2, winning the last meeting 93-67 on Dec. 11, 2016.

MATHEWS & RAKOCEVIC SHARING SENIOR SUCCESS - USC senior guard Jonah Mathews (1,009 career points) and senior forward Nick Rakocevic (1,007 career points) both surpassed 1,000 career points scored in the game vs. South Dakota State on Nov. 12. They became the 41st and 42nd Trojans to register 1,000 or more career points in a USC uniform and became the first pair of Trojans to accomplish the feat in the same game since Don Carfino and Purvis Miller vs. Oregon in 1980. Rakocevic also has 692 career rebounds which ranks 15th on USC's all-time list and 12th among active NCAA men's basketball players. He also has 21 career double-doubles which ranks tied for 15th among active players. Mathews has made 185 career three-point baskets, tied for sixth on USC's all-time list and tied for 41st among active players.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jonah Mathews

Onyeka Okongwu

Nick Rakocevic