The No. 17 USC men’s basketball team shined on the offensive end Thursday night at Galen Center as the Trojans took down the Washington Huskies 79-69, a score that doesn’t show how dominant USC was for most of the game.
USC built a double-digit advantage at the end of the first half, and the Huskies never closed the gap to under 10.
Washington played zone defense throughout the game, focusing on adding more pressure on USC’s ball movement, forcing rushed shots and turnovers from the Trojans. The Huskies’ offense pushed the pace of the game, especially in transition. Washington scored 24 points off USC’s 15 turnovers and had 22 fastbreak points.
However, the Trojans were able to take advantage of Washington’s defensive strategy early with effective passing that beat the zone and created mismatches that favored the Trojans. Junior forward Isaiah Mobley played most of the game near the free throw line, where he was able to make the right decisions due to his height and vision.
Redshirt senior forward Chevez Goodwin dropped a season-high 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field. Goodwin has completely reshaped his game from a season ago when he averaged 5.6 points and 3.5 rebounds.
“It was kind of like practice to be honest with you, just catch the ball right there, turn and look, see what I have and shoot it,” Goodwin said on his performance. “I didn’t try to force anything. It was right there, kind of like easy money.”
As the Trojans’ leading scorer, rebounder and passer, Mobley, who was absent for the last two games due to a non-displaced nasal fracture, returned to the court Thursday with a black mask on.
“It took me a second to get adjusted,” Mobley said about the mask. “Everyone asked me if I could see. Yes, I can see.”
Not only could Mobley see, but he could also deliver the ball to the right person at the right time. Mobley contributed 12 points, eight assists and four rebounds with no turnovers. Mobley’s shooting and passing ability became the key to dealing with Washington’s 2-3 zone defense.
“They played zone [defense], so we knew we were going to pass [because] there weren’t going to be a ton of one-on-one opportunities,” Mobley said. “So just trying to get to the middle and make plays, and then we told everyone just to be ready, be available. It’s just been a carryover, we’ve been preaching it all season that it’s going to take all of us, and I think that showed tonight.”
If USC’s last victory over UCLA was a showcase of their top-ranked defense, then Thursday’s win was a textbook example of quality offense. The Trojans had a season-high 28 assists on 30 made shots.
Senior guard Drew Peterson, who averaged 3.4 assists per game, posted seven assists against the Huskies. After displaying one of his best college performances against the Bruins on Saturday, Peterson delivered another solid game. In this game, Peterson was able to pass the ball to his weak side teammates by attracting more defensive attention by pick-and-rolls.
“That was the game plan, we had to share the basketball,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said. “Their zone [defense] is very good. They get a lot of steals, deflections and they make you turn it over. When they put pressure on, you have to ball fake, you have to shot fake, you have to move to the open area to cut. And I thought our guys did a great job tonight.”
USC improves to 22-4 overall and 11-4 in Pac-12 play. Next, the Trojans host Washington State at Galen Center on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.