The energy in the Galen Center was electric for USC’s highly anticipated crosstown rivalry game against UCLA, but the excitement turned into disappointment when the Bruins defeated the Trojans 65-50.
There were many big names in attendance, including NBA legend Scottie Pippen as well as USC alum and former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez.
USC came into the matchup on a four-game losing streak, while UCLA lost its previous game at Arizona. Both teams had 8-11 records prior to the matchup, with USC having won six of the last nine games against the Bruins, as well as five consecutive wins against UCLA at home.
Everyone was on their feet as fifth-year guard Boogie Ellis scored his first 3-pointer of the evening about two minutes into the game after not playing in the last three games due to a hamstring injury.
However, after scoring eight of the Trojans’ first 10 points, he did not score again for the rest of the game.
“They didn’t let me catch the ball,” Ellis said. “They did a great job of face-guarding me. They made me work hard every possession.”
Head coach Andy Enfield spoke on the future of the Trojans’ captain and top leading scorer.
“Boogie came out and made those three shots, and then I thought you could tell his timing’s a little off,” Enfield said. “He only practiced one day in the last three weeks … so he’s not quite back yet to where he needs to be. He needs to keep getting stronger and get his win back and his timing back, and I’m sure he will soon.”
“There’s no excuse,” Ellis said. “I’ve got to get my feet underneath me and just get back in shape.”
Additionally, standout freshman guard Isaiah Collier hasn’t played since January 10 due to a hand injury and will continue to be out for several more weeks. In USC’s last three games, the Trojans have had just over half of their 15 players available.
The Trojans and the Bruins appeared evenly matched throughout the first half, with UCLA picking up speed and shots toward the end of the half. UCLA led 37-26 at halftime.
“We came out and played pretty well defensively in the first half until the seven-minute mark,” Enfield said. “We just did not play very well offensively with our shot-making and our finishing around the rim. We couldn’t get a lot of easy baskets and unfortunately got outplayed in certain areas tonight, and I’ll take the blame for that.”
Going into the second half, the Trojans were not able to get within 10 points. UCLA had its largest lead of the night at 18 with two minutes left in the game.
Sophomore guard Oziyah Sellers was the leading scorer and only player with double-digit points for the Trojans, though he had just 10 points. Junior guard Kobe Johnson, like Ellis, also only scored eight points.Freshman guard Bronny James put up a mere two points in his 15 minutes of playing time.
Aside from USC’s leading scorers not finding much success on the court, junior forward Harrison Hornery only saw about a minute of playing time in the entire game, despite struggles from the Trojans’ big men.
“We’re struggling this year with a variety of things, [but] we enjoy playing UCLA,” Enfield said. “It’s great for the league, it’s great for the city, and unfortunately tonight they played better than us.”
“Obviously it’s no secret that the season hasn’t gone exactly the way we wanted it to, but at the end of the day, we’re a team; we’re a family,” redshirt senior forward Joshua Morgan said.
USC (8-12, 2-7 Pac-12) looks to bounce back from its losing streak on Friday against Oregon at Galen Center at 7:30 p.m.
“Going into February, I feel like we’ve got to lock in and stack up some wins,” Ellis said. “Everything we’re doing now is to prepare for the Pac-12 tournament.”