USC Basketball recovers with beating University of California, Irvine – Orange County Record
LOS ANGELES – The USC men’s basketball team did not leave its first loss of the season lingering, as it rebounded once again with their overall 91-56 win over UC Irvine Tuesday night at the Galen Center.
Ivan Mobley, the Trojan player, led all the players with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots, while Noah Bowman added 18 points for the USC team (4-1). Isaiah Mobley scored nine points and six rebounds, giving the Mobley brothers 17 of 42 rebounds from the USC. Guard Dawson Baker led Anteaters (2-3) with 18 points while making three of four attempts from a range of 3 points.
“I thought tonight was a very important game for us,” said USC coach Andy Enfield. “I was very touched, our coaching staff was so touched by tonight’s energy, intensity, and ability to (do) that for a full 40 minutes instead of just 20 minutes.”
USC was without starting point goalkeeper Ethan Anderson (full-back) for the second consecutive match. While that absence was deeply felt in last week’s loss to Connecticut, the Trojans found ways to make up for UCI.
The Trojans did not rely on a single ball handler, instead moving the ball around the perimeter through renditions to create favorable encounters. And the top USC men were smart when the UCI defense collapsed, and they began opening shooters with three-pointers four times in the first half.
And USC was quick to make a transition, too. With 7:09 left in the first half, Max Agbonkpolo grabbed a rebound and pushed it forward to Baumann, who sent a subtle pass to Drew Peterson for a dip and 10 points.
While the USC had four total assists in the UConn loss, the Trojans assisted in 23 of the 32 baskets made in this basket. USC fired 50% in 24 attempts from a 3-point range while scoring 15 points from 13 turnovers in UCI.
“I thought we played from the inside out to start the match,” Enfield said. “And when Noah Bowman hit his first three-point shot the floor opened.”
But there are two sides to this coin, and the other is that the ICU defense fought overnight. Head coach Russell Turner called out in the first half to push forward Colin Welp when his lax inner defense allowed USC Chiefs Goodwin to turn into a second open chance.
But when UCI left Baumann open for a transition 3 indicator and 19 minutes later, Turner could only walk to the end of his seat, rubbing his head in frustration.
“Drew and I really went out of their way to get the tempo up and did our best to put UCI Irvine in a bind where they were both in a hole,” said Bowman.
Ant, which has the nation’s second-smallest roster this season, with 13 lower-class and only two VIPs, took part in the second half. After 3 pointers from Mobley USC extended the USC lead to 28, UC Irvine went on a 9-0 round starting with three points from Austin Johnson (10 points, seven rebounds).
But from there, the USC had a counter for each basket of the anteater, and the UCI didn’t even come close to 17 in the second half, after which the USC outperformed the visitors 27-9. The UCI was overtaken by 42-34 and only shot 33.8 percent off the ground, including a 4-to-19 score from a 3-point range.
“It’s hard to get out of this performance with any kind of good feeling,” Turner said in his post-match radio interview. “We weren’t really able to stand up in defense or on the glass. We didn’t do anything at all, I don’t think, to dictate the match with our defense. When we won matches against strong conference teams, we were able to do that. I’m amazed that we haven’t shown any ability yet to … Do this for long periods of time. ”
Meanwhile, Evan Mobley continues to impress.
“I feel more comfortable every time I step on the ground,” said the 7-footer. “Every day I work on (3-point shot). I feel it is paying off in games.”
Favorite stats for a new student? His shots prohibited.
“I just try to be active in defense,” he said. “Anytime they drive, just try to change their shots.”
next one
The next UC Irvine match scheduled for December 17th at Loyola Marymount.
On Sunday, USC Stanford hosts the opening game of Buck 12 in Troy.
That was fun, Embed a Tweet! 🙌
the ruler # Pac12Hoops Freshman of the week @ evan_mobley7 And his brother Embed a Tweet She collected a total of 31 points in Trojan’s 91-56 victory over UC Irvine. pic.twitter.com/3NPC0dUeSS
– Pac-12 Network (@ Pac12Network) December 9, 2020
Evan Mobley with authority!
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USC Men’s Basketball (USC_Hoops) December 9, 2020
SNIPERRRR!Embed a Tweet It is 3 versus 3 of 3!
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USC Men’s Basketball (USC_Hoops) December 9, 2020
A quick break from the slam @ DrewPeterson23! 👀
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USC Men’s Basketball (USC_Hoops) December 9, 2020
The first immersion of the night to @ evan_mobley7!
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USC Men’s Basketball (USC_Hoops) December 9, 2020
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