USC defeated No. 20 UNLV,67-56, to win the inaugural Diamond Head Classic on Christmas day in Honolulu, Hawaii. Click here for an AP game recap and Box Score of the game.
The Trojans pushed the lead to as great as 19 in the second half. Senior forward, Marcus Johnson led the USC offensive attack, scoring 19 points on 8-14 shooting from the field.
Defensively, the Trojans have buckled down and are playing with the hard-nosed style of play Head Coach Kevin O'Neill is know for. USC held the Running Rebels to just 25 first-half points and were able to capitalize on UNLV's mistakes to score 18 points off of turnovers.
Turnovers had been USC's biggest problem, averaging as much as 17 per game this season, but with the addition of Mike Gerrity, the Trojans are simply a new team and pose an immanent threat for a potential run at a back-to-back Pac-10 Championship.
The Trojans also welcomed Leonard Washington to the line-up for the first time this season against St. Mary's. Washington was ineligible for the first ten games of the season, stemming from academic issues. The sophomore forward has added tremendous depth to the Trojans, and has proved to be a very tough cover, standing 6-foot-7, and weighing 230 lbs. The Louisiana native, brings versatility and size, giving USC possibly the best front-court in the Pac-10.
The Trojans will play their first conference game New Year's Eve against Arizona. Tip off is at 4:00 PM PST.
