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USC To Face Marquette In Orlando Invitational Semifinal Friday
November 28, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (6-1) will face the Marquette Golden Eagles (4-1) in the Orlando Invitational semifinals at the HP Field House in Orlando, Fla. on Nov. 29 at 1:30 p.m. PT. The game will air on ESPN2 with Ted Emrich and Andy Kennedy calling the action. USC's 6-1 start trails only the 2017 team's 7-0 start as the Trojans' best in the last 12 seasons.
GONE FROM GALEN -- USC is in the midst of playing 8 of 10 games (1-0) away from the Galen Center. USC has these three games at the Orlando Invitational (Nov. 28, Nov. 29 and Dec. 1), then at TCU to open Dickies Arena on Dec. 6, home vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 15, at Staples Center (in L.A.) vs. LSU on Dec. 21, home vs. FGCU on Dec. 29, then the Trojans will open the new year and the conference season with three road games - at Washington St. (Jan. 2), at Washington (Jan. 5) and at UCLA on Jan. 11).
BREAKING DOWN MARQUETTE -- Marquette (4-1) is coming off a 73-63 win over Davidson on Nov. 28. Senior guard Markus Howard scored 40 points in the win over Davidson and is averaging 25.0 points in Marquette's first five games. Marquette has wins over Loyola Maryland (88-53), Purdue (65-55), Robert Morris (66-62) and Davidson, with a loss at Wisconsin (77-61). Marquette went 24-10 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament. Marquette won the only previous meeting between the schools, 72-64 on Nov. 21, 2012.
USC USES DEFENSE TO DEFEAT FAIRFIELD -- USC held Fairfield to 27.0 percent shooting and won 54-47 in the first round of the Orlando Invitational on Nov. 28. Fairfield took the lead early in the game at 16-8 by making 4 of its first 5 3-point attempts, but the Trojans slowly found their footing and forged a 25-22 lead by halftime. USC led the rest of the way, opening up a 14 point lead at 50-36 with 7:23 remaining. The Trojans did not make a field goal the rest of the way, but hit 4 free throws to put the game away. The 27 percent shooting by Fairfield was the lowest by a USC opponent since holding CS Fullerton to 23.3 percent shooting on Nov. 10, 2017. Onyeka Okongwu and Jonah Mathews led USC with 14 points each and Elijah Weaver added 13. Weaver scored the first 8 points of the 2nd half with 2 3-pointers and a layup as USC opened up a 33-22 lead. USC outscored Fairfield 20-4 on fastbreak points and 24-6 on points in the paint. USC committed 15 turnovers which led to 13 Fairfield points. The 54 points were the fewest by USC in a game since losing 67-39 vs. Utah on Feb. 1, 2015. The 54 points were the fewest by USC in a win since defeating CSUF 53-49 on Nov. 25, 2014.
HARVARD OR No. 5 MARYLAND ON DECK -- USC's next game will be against either Harvard (5-2) or Maryland (6-0) on Dec 1. The winner of the USC-Marquette contest will play the winner of Harvard-Maryland in the championship game on Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. PT on ESPN. The other two teams will play the same day in the third-place game at 1/3/3:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2/U.
OKONGWU NEAR THE TOP OF THE CLASS -- Freshman forward Onyeka Okongwu ranks 5th among all NCAA freshman with an 17.4 scoring average. He also ranks 2nd among all freshmen in free throws made (30), 3rd in blocks per game (3.0), 4th in shooting percentage (59.7), T-5th in rebounds per game (9.0), and T-5th in offensive rebounds per game (3.3).
GETTING DEFENSIVE -- USC has held its opponents to 36.7 percent shooting this season, 31st in the country. The Trojans have held 5 of its 7 opponents to under 39 percent shooting.
LONG-RANGE ATTACK -- Three of USC's first seven opponents have made more three-pointers than two-pointers in their games against USC: Fairfield (9 3-points/8 2-pointers), Portland (13 3-pointers/10 2-pointers) and Nevada (11 3-pointers/9 2-pointers). Five USC opponents have made at least nine 3-pointers in their games against USC and have made 16 more 3-pointers overall than USC (61 to 45).
O'BANNON HAS HAND SURGERY -- USC guard Charles O'Bannon Jr. injured his hand in practice on Nov. 25 and had O.R.I.F. (Open Reduction Integral Fixation) surgery on the third metacarpal of his left hand on Nov. 27. He is expected to miss at least four weeks.
GONE FROM GALEN -- USC is in the midst of playing 8 of 10 games (1-0) away from the Galen Center. USC has these three games at the Orlando Invitational (Nov. 28, Nov. 29 and Dec. 1), then at TCU to open Dickies Arena on Dec. 6, home vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 15, at Staples Center (in L.A.) vs. LSU on Dec. 21, home vs. FGCU on Dec. 29, then the Trojans will open the new year and the conference season with three road games - at Washington St. (Jan. 2), at Washington (Jan. 5) and at UCLA on Jan. 11).
BREAKING DOWN MARQUETTE -- Marquette (4-1) is coming off a 73-63 win over Davidson on Nov. 28. Senior guard Markus Howard scored 40 points in the win over Davidson and is averaging 25.0 points in Marquette's first five games. Marquette has wins over Loyola Maryland (88-53), Purdue (65-55), Robert Morris (66-62) and Davidson, with a loss at Wisconsin (77-61). Marquette went 24-10 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament. Marquette won the only previous meeting between the schools, 72-64 on Nov. 21, 2012.
USC USES DEFENSE TO DEFEAT FAIRFIELD -- USC held Fairfield to 27.0 percent shooting and won 54-47 in the first round of the Orlando Invitational on Nov. 28. Fairfield took the lead early in the game at 16-8 by making 4 of its first 5 3-point attempts, but the Trojans slowly found their footing and forged a 25-22 lead by halftime. USC led the rest of the way, opening up a 14 point lead at 50-36 with 7:23 remaining. The Trojans did not make a field goal the rest of the way, but hit 4 free throws to put the game away. The 27 percent shooting by Fairfield was the lowest by a USC opponent since holding CS Fullerton to 23.3 percent shooting on Nov. 10, 2017. Onyeka Okongwu and Jonah Mathews led USC with 14 points each and Elijah Weaver added 13. Weaver scored the first 8 points of the 2nd half with 2 3-pointers and a layup as USC opened up a 33-22 lead. USC outscored Fairfield 20-4 on fastbreak points and 24-6 on points in the paint. USC committed 15 turnovers which led to 13 Fairfield points. The 54 points were the fewest by USC in a game since losing 67-39 vs. Utah on Feb. 1, 2015. The 54 points were the fewest by USC in a win since defeating CSUF 53-49 on Nov. 25, 2014.
HARVARD OR No. 5 MARYLAND ON DECK -- USC's next game will be against either Harvard (5-2) or Maryland (6-0) on Dec 1. The winner of the USC-Marquette contest will play the winner of Harvard-Maryland in the championship game on Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. PT on ESPN. The other two teams will play the same day in the third-place game at 1/3/3:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2/U.
OKONGWU NEAR THE TOP OF THE CLASS -- Freshman forward Onyeka Okongwu ranks 5th among all NCAA freshman with an 17.4 scoring average. He also ranks 2nd among all freshmen in free throws made (30), 3rd in blocks per game (3.0), 4th in shooting percentage (59.7), T-5th in rebounds per game (9.0), and T-5th in offensive rebounds per game (3.3).
GETTING DEFENSIVE -- USC has held its opponents to 36.7 percent shooting this season, 31st in the country. The Trojans have held 5 of its 7 opponents to under 39 percent shooting.
LONG-RANGE ATTACK -- Three of USC's first seven opponents have made more three-pointers than two-pointers in their games against USC: Fairfield (9 3-points/8 2-pointers), Portland (13 3-pointers/10 2-pointers) and Nevada (11 3-pointers/9 2-pointers). Five USC opponents have made at least nine 3-pointers in their games against USC and have made 16 more 3-pointers overall than USC (61 to 45).
O'BANNON HAS HAND SURGERY -- USC guard Charles O'Bannon Jr. injured his hand in practice on Nov. 25 and had O.R.I.F. (Open Reduction Integral Fixation) surgery on the third metacarpal of his left hand on Nov. 27. He is expected to miss at least four weeks.
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