USC suffered its first conference loss to Washington State on the road Sunday, 81-71.
The Cougars separated themselves by out-shooting the Trojans from behind the arc. WSU shot 14-for-29 (48.3%), while USC shot 3-for-18 (16.7%).
“They did a great job driving and kicking to the 3-point shooters. They made some tough shots, and they got their confidence, it seemed like,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said. “They shot a very high percentage, especially in the first half.”
Shooting from 3-point range has been a strength for the Cougars all season long. Going into today’s game, WSU led the Pac-12 with 114 made 3-point shots. USC, despite running a four-guard lineup with strong 3-point shooting potential for most of the season, went into the game tied for ninth in the conference.
Fresh off a 27-point performance against Washington, senior guard Boogie Ellis struggled in the first half, scoring just four points on 2-of-6 shooting.
“He got off to a slow start,” Enfield said. “He missed his first four threes. He’d been shooting the ball so well [previously].”
Sophomore guard Kobe Johnson stepped up in the first half, scoring eight points on 3-of-4 shooting. He finished the game with 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting and went 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and added three assists and one steal.
But the Cougars’ pristine shooting gave them a 41-30 lead heading into halftime.
“It took a while for our guys to realize that we were behind,” Enfield said. “They played hard in the second half.”
Fifth-year senior guard Drew Peterson took the reins in the second half, racking up 10 points. He finished the game with 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting and eight rebounds, leading his team in both statistical categories.
However, Enfield expects more out of both him and Ellis..
“I thought [Drew and Boogie] weren’t as aggressive as they have been. Drew held the ball too much in the first half, especially on close-outs against guys he could get by,” Enfield said. “We didn’t have the flow of our offense, and those two guys, it starts with them.”
Sophomore guard Reese Dixon-Waters showed up in the second half, scoring seven points after a scoreless first half.
“We have high hopes for Reese,” Enfield said. “He’s a terrific young man, hard worker and we need him to be productive and help us. He’s developing as a player, and so we have full confidence in him.”
However, the Trojans weren’t able to gain the momentum they needed, largely due to the fact that Ellis, USC’s leading scorer this season, could not find a rhythm until the end of the game.
Eight of his 12 points came in the final minutes of the game, but he fouled out just as he started to heat up late — when the Trojans needed him and his experience most. Having been in foul trouble since the end of the first half, Ellis only played 29 minutes.
For most of the game, USC played sloppy and failed to capitalize on opportunities. The Trojans had 11 turnovers and failed to facilitate proper ball movement, resulting in only nine assists compared to Washington State’s 16. Although USC doubled Washington State’s offensive rebound total (18 to 9), both teams had the same number of second chance points (16).
“We have to do a better job of putting the ball on the floor, getting a lane, kicking it out and playing as a team,” Enfield said.
Although the Trojans improved offensively and defensively in the second half, they failed to reduce the deficit by much and simply traded off baskets with the Cougars.
The loss snaps the Trojans’ seven-game win streak, along with their three-game win streak in Pac-12 play. USC fell to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in conference.
USC will play its third consecutive road game as the Trojans face No. 11 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday.