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Photo by: John McGillen
USC Returns Home To Face Long Beach State Sunday
December 12, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (8-2) will face the Long Beach State Beach (3-7) at the Galen Center on Dec. 15 at 3:30 p.m. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with Ted Robinson and Tammy Blackburn calling the action.
GONE FROM GALEN -- USC is in the midst of playing 8 of 10 games (3-1) away from the Galen Center. USC played three games at the Orlando Invitational (Nov. 28, Nov. 29 and Dec. 1), then at TCU to open Dickies Arena on Dec. 6, now is home vs. Long Beach State, 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 (Jan. 11). The 23 days between home games (Nov. 22 to Dec. 15) is USC's longest stretch in a season without a home game since also going 23 days during the 1995 season (Dec. 20 to Jan. 12).
BREAKING DOWN LONG BEACH STATE -- Long Beach State (3-7) is coming off a 65-46 home loss to Pacific on Dec. 7. LBSU has three players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore guard Chance Hunter at 14.2 points per game. LBSU has road losses at Pac-12 foes UCLA (65-69), at Stanford (58-86) and at Arizona (67-104). USC defeated LBSU 75-65 on Nov. 28 last season and leads the all-time series 9-6.
USC WINS IN THE NICK OF TIME -- Nick Rakocevic tipped in a missed shot with 0.2 seconds remaining to give the Trojans an 80-78 win over TCU in the inaugural game at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on Dec. 6. USC led most of the game, but after a layup by Kevin Samuel with 8 seconds remaining, the score was 78-all and Samuel had a FT attempt to put TCU ahead. He missed the FT which was rebounded by Rakocevic, who followed up Ethan Anderson's driving layup attempt to give the Trojans the win. USC led 47-34 at halftime and built the lead to 18 points early in the half before TCU began to chip away. USC led 78-69 with 1:21 remaining, but Onyeka Okongwu and Jonah Mathews missed the front end of 1-and-1s, then Okongwu missed a pair of FTs with 17 seconds remaining, leaving the score at 78-76 USC, setting up the dramatics. Okongwu did have 2 key blocks in the final 44 seconds and finished with 7 blocks and 13 points. Mathews led USC with 20 points and Rakocevic had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Anderson added 10 points and 8 assists. USC made 52.6 percent of its shots, its first game this season shooting over 50 percent from the floor.
LSU ON DECK -- USC's next game will be vs. LSU (7-2) at Staples Center on Dec. 21. LSU will host East Tennessee State on Dec. 18 before facing the Trojans. The Tigers have five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by guard Skylar Mays at 16.0 points per game. USC leads the all-time series 6-1, but lost the last meeting 87-76 on Dec. 4, 1976.
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 leads all freshmen in total blocks (33), is 2nd in blocks per game (3.30), 4th in free throws made (42), T-3rd in double-doubles (4), 3rd in shooting percentage (61.1), 5th in offensive rebounds per game (3.10) and 7th in rebounds per game (8.7).
THE SHOCKER ABOUT THE BLOCKER -- Freshman forward Onyeka Okongwu has 33 blocks through USC's first 10 games. His block total already ranks 9th on USC's all-time freshman blocks list.
A ROAD LESS TRAVELED -- USC is 2-0 on the road this season, after going 2-9 on the road during the 2018-19 season. In six of the last 11 seasons, USC won 2 or less road games for an overall record of 34-90 (27.4 percent). USC finished over .500 on the road (6-5) during the 2018 and 2017 seasons, the only two seasons in the past 11 with a winning road record.
10 FOR 10 -- All 10 available scholarship players on USC's team have had at least one 10-point scoring game this season.
GONE FROM GALEN -- USC is in the midst of playing 8 of 10 games (3-1) away from the Galen Center. USC played three games at the Orlando Invitational (Nov. 28, Nov. 29 and Dec. 1), then at TCU to open Dickies Arena on Dec. 6, now is home vs. Long Beach State, 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 (Jan. 11). The 23 days between home games (Nov. 22 to Dec. 15) is USC's longest stretch in a season without a home game since also going 23 days during the 1995 season (Dec. 20 to Jan. 12).
BREAKING DOWN LONG BEACH STATE -- Long Beach State (3-7) is coming off a 65-46 home loss to Pacific on Dec. 7. LBSU has three players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore guard Chance Hunter at 14.2 points per game. LBSU has road losses at Pac-12 foes UCLA (65-69), at Stanford (58-86) and at Arizona (67-104). USC defeated LBSU 75-65 on Nov. 28 last season and leads the all-time series 9-6.
USC WINS IN THE NICK OF TIME -- Nick Rakocevic tipped in a missed shot with 0.2 seconds remaining to give the Trojans an 80-78 win over TCU in the inaugural game at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on Dec. 6. USC led most of the game, but after a layup by Kevin Samuel with 8 seconds remaining, the score was 78-all and Samuel had a FT attempt to put TCU ahead. He missed the FT which was rebounded by Rakocevic, who followed up Ethan Anderson's driving layup attempt to give the Trojans the win. USC led 47-34 at halftime and built the lead to 18 points early in the half before TCU began to chip away. USC led 78-69 with 1:21 remaining, but Onyeka Okongwu and Jonah Mathews missed the front end of 1-and-1s, then Okongwu missed a pair of FTs with 17 seconds remaining, leaving the score at 78-76 USC, setting up the dramatics. Okongwu did have 2 key blocks in the final 44 seconds and finished with 7 blocks and 13 points. Mathews led USC with 20 points and Rakocevic had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Anderson added 10 points and 8 assists. USC made 52.6 percent of its shots, its first game this season shooting over 50 percent from the floor.
LSU ON DECK -- USC's next game will be vs. LSU (7-2) at Staples Center on Dec. 21. LSU will host East Tennessee State on Dec. 18 before facing the Trojans. The Tigers have five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by guard Skylar Mays at 16.0 points per game. USC leads the all-time series 6-1, but lost the last meeting 87-76 on Dec. 4, 1976.
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 leads all freshmen in total blocks (33), is 2nd in blocks per game (3.30), 4th in free throws made (42), T-3rd in double-doubles (4), 3rd in shooting percentage (61.1), 5th in offensive rebounds per game (3.10) and 7th in rebounds per game (8.7).
THE SHOCKER ABOUT THE BLOCKER -- Freshman forward Onyeka Okongwu has 33 blocks through USC's first 10 games. His block total already ranks 9th on USC's all-time freshman blocks list.
A ROAD LESS TRAVELED -- USC is 2-0 on the road this season, after going 2-9 on the road during the 2018-19 season. In six of the last 11 seasons, USC won 2 or less road games for an overall record of 34-90 (27.4 percent). USC finished over .500 on the road (6-5) during the 2018 and 2017 seasons, the only two seasons in the past 11 with a winning road record.
10 FOR 10 -- All 10 available scholarship players on USC's team have had at least one 10-point scoring game this season.
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