USC Men's Basketball Wins First Exhibition Against LMU

Saturday, October 18

Los Angeles, Calif.

6 p.m.

USC

LMU

Chad Baker-Mazara shooting a free throw during the team's exhibition against LMU

USC Men's Basketball Wins First Exhibition Against LMU

October 18, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Chad Baker-Mazara led the offense with 14 points.

LOS ANGELES – USC Men's Basketball secured a 60-51 win in its first exhibition game against the Loyola Marymount Lions on Saturday night in Gersten Pavilion. The Trojans set the tempo early in the first half, pushing out to a double-digit lead six minutes in. The Lions battled back with a second-half surge, but the Trojans fended it off to finish with a nine-point margin of victory. Overall, USC shot 33 percent from the field to outperform LMU's 28 percent, and the matchup saw scoring contributions from nine Trojans.

Graduate guard Chad Baker-Mazara led the Trojans with 14 points and three assists. He was joined in double figures by junior guard Jordan Marsh's 12-point performance, while junior center Gabe Dynes anchored the defense with six blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After a slow start on both ends, senior forward Ezra Ausar put the first mark on the board, dropping in a free throw after being fouled on a solid drive to the basket. The Lions answered with two shots from the charity stripe, but it was short-lived. The Trojans went on to score an unanswered 15 points, highlighted by baskets from five different Trojans and back-to-back rejections from Dynes. The Lions ended their scoring drought with a put-back finish, but it wasn't enough against the Trojans' stifling defense. USC forced 15 turnovers and racked up eight blocks in the first half alone, allowing the visiting team to close out the half leading 29-13.

Junior guard Jordan Marsh got the ball rolling for the Trojans in the second half with a midrange jumper and a corner 3-pointer to extend USC's lead. This is when the Lions found their offensive groove, carving a solid 31-13 run to bring it within four with just under five minutes left to play. A big-time perimeter shot from Baker-Mazara and a couple of tough finishes in the paint from Marsh allowed the Trojans to hold on to the lead. With the clock running out, sophomore forward Jacob Cofie capped the win with an extra free throw to give USC a 60-51 victory.

NOTABLES

USC visited LMU for the first time since 2005, where they won 71-69.
Tonight's starting lineup featured Jordan Marsh, Ezra Ausar, Terrance Williams II, Amarion Dickerson and Jacob Cofie. Only Williams suited up for the Trojans last season.
Chad Baker-Mazara made the first basket of the season for the Trojans. He finished the night with a team-high 14 points.
Jordan Marsh was the first Trojan to secure double-digit points, notching 12 in his first appearance for the Cardinal and Gold.
Gabe Dynes shined on defense, leading the team with eight rebounds and six blocks. He also added on nine points.
USC bolstered its defense in the off-season. In this exhibition alone, the Trojans topped their season-highs from last season, notching 11 blocks and 12 steals as a team.

QUOTABLES
Coach Eric Musselman on what impressed him in this game…
"Defensively, we were really, really good, especially in the first half. Offensively, we have a lot of areas for growth."

Coach Eric Musselman on the guards…
"Jerry Easter II and Jordan Marsh did a great job bothering their point guard, and that showed in the number of turnovers we caused. We are a team that's got great reaction to the ball."

Gabe Dynes on playing LMU…
"It's nice to play someone other than yourself. It's been training camp for a long time now, and we've only been playing each other. It felt good to just play another team."

Terrance Williams II on his takeaways from the game…
"We got some things to work on, of course, but the biggest thing I think of is the defense. Gabe was shot blocking in the middle, and the guards were guarding. The offense is going to clean itself up, but we take pride in the defense. We are a physical team, and we play hard."

UP NEXT
USC will play one more exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona, against Grand Canyon on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 6:30 p.m. This game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.