Cal-USC Basketball Live Game Updates: No. 7 Trojans Top Cal

The Trojans shot 64.3% in the second half when they puled away

No. 7 USC stayed unbeaten with a 77-63 victory over Cal on Thursday night at Haas Pavilion.

The Trojans are 13-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference, and Cal had a five-game winning streak halted and slipped to 9-5.

Cal top scorer for the game: Grant Anticevich 19 points.

Cal top rebounder: Andre Kelly 11 rebounds

USC top scorer for the game: Isaiah Mobley 19 points

USC top rebounder: Drew Peterson and Isaiah Mobley nine rebounds each

Key Stat: USC shot 53.4% for the game, including 64.3% in the second half.  USC outrebounded Cal 39-24

Pregame: The Bears entered the game on a five-game winning streak and with a 9-5 record, including 2-1 in the Pac-12, following Sunday's 74-50 home victory over Arizona State. 

USC began the day 12-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference, but Thursday's game is the Trojans' first game since a Dec. 18 win over Georgia Tech. In the meantime, USC has had three games, including two conference games, canceled or postponed because of COVID issues.

USC's two Pac-12 wins were against Utah (at home) and Washington State (on the road), but the Trojans only beat the Cougars by two points back on Dec. 4 when Chevez Goodwin converted a three-point play with 16 seconds left. Isaiah Mobley, the older brother of last year's Pac-12 player of the year Evan Mobley, entered Thursday's game leading the team in scoring (15.0 points per game) and rebounding (9.6 boards per game).

USC began the day ranked second in the nation in field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 35.2% from the floor.

Andre Kelly came into Thursday's game leading the Golden Bears in scoring (14.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.6). Jordan Shepherd began the day averaging 14.4 points.

Cal starting lineup: G Jordan Shepherd, F Grant Anticevich, F Kuany Kuany, G Joel Brown, F Andre Kelly.

USC starting lineup: F Isaiah Mosley, F Chevez Goodwin, G Boogie Ellis, G Drew Peterson, G Ethan Anderson

FIRST HALF

18:51 first half. USC's Isaiah Mobley scores on a dunk 19 seconds into the game, but Grant Anticevich responds with a 3-pointer for Cal. Chevez Goodwin scores for USC, and Jordan Shepherd hits two free throws. Cal 5, USC 4.

17:47 first half: Cal hits its first three shots. Cal 9, USC 8.

17:21 first half: Isaiah Mobley hits one of three free throws to tie the game. USC 9, Cal 9.

15:50 first half: Andre Kelly has six points for Cal, and Isaiah Mobley has six for USC. Cal 13, USC 12.

14:50 first half: Boogie Ellis has six points and his bucket puts USC ahead. The Trojans are 5-for-10 from the field an Cal is 5-for-8. Each team has one 3-pointer. Cal's Jordan Shepherd has two fouls and sits down.  USC 14, Cal 13.

11:36 first half: Grant Anticevich scores to put Cal back in front after the Bears had missed three straight shots, but Isaiah Mobley hits two free throws, giving USC the lead and giving Mobley eight points. USC 16, Cal 15. 

9:40 first half: Grant Anticevich has seven points and his two free throws tie the game. USC 20, Cal 20.

8:41 first half: Drew Peterson scores four straight points for USC. USC 24, Cal 20.

7:43 first half: USC takes its biggest lead at 26-20 before Andre Kelly scores for Cal. USC 26, Cal 22.

6:52 first half: The Trojans regain their six-point lead on another Peterson basket. He has six points, Boogie Ellis has six points and Isaiah Mobley has eight points. Kelly leads Cal with eight points. Shepherd back on the court. USC 28, Cal 22.  

3:18 first half: USC has outrebounded Cal 19-10, and the Trojans have eight offensive rebounds to two offensive boards for Cal. Isaiah Mobley has 10 points and four rebounds. Peterson has six points and five rebounds. A double-clutch inside bucket by Jordan Shepherd gets Cal within three points. Shepherd has six points. USC 30, Cal 27.

25 seconds first half: Mobley has 12 points. USC 36, Cal 31.

Halftime: USC 36, Cal 31.

Cal shot 37.9% in the first half (11-for-30) while USC shot 43.3% (13-for-30). Cal was 2-for-8 on 3-pointers, and the Trojans were 1-for-6 from distance.

Isaiah Mobley has 12 points for USC, and Drew Peterson has eight. Andre Kelly scored eight points and collected six rebounds for Cal, and Grant Anticevich and Jalen Celestine have seven points apiece. Anticevich is just 2-for-9 from the field, though.  USC outrebounded Cal 23-15 in the first half, including 8-5 on the offensive boards. Cal had just four first-half turnovers.

SECOND HALF

19:51 second half: Jordan Shepherd is now 3-for-3 from the field. USC 36, Cal 33.

18:01 second half: Isaiah Mobley has 14 points for USC, and Shepherd was 4-for-4 for 10 points before his first miss. USC 38, Cal 35.

15:43 second half: USC scores four straight points to take its biggest lead of the game at seven points. Cal calls timeout. USC 42, Cal 35.

14:07 second half:  USC pushed its lead to nine points on a Boogie Ellis layup, and Ethan Anderson scored to finish an 8-0 USC run that put the Trojans ahead by 11 points with 14:29 left. Grant Anticevich ended the USC spree with a basket and turned it into a three-point play with a free throw. Anticevich has 10 points. USC 46, Cal 38.

12:06 second half: Jordan Shepherd hits a 3-pointer to give him 13 points and cut the deficit to seven points. Boogie Ellis has 12 points, and Isaiah Mobley has 14. USC 50, Cal 43

10:16 second half: A Jalen Celestine 3-pointer got the margin down to six points at the 10:56 mark, and Jordan Shepherd's two free throws cut the USC lead to four. Shepherd has 15 points. USC 52, Cal 48.

7:47 second half: An Isaiah Mobley 3-pointer gives him 19 points and puts USC back ahead by nine points with 8:11 to go. Kuany Kuany hits one free throw to get the margin down to eight. USC 59, Cal 51

5:43 second half: Bookie Ellis hits two free throws to push the USC lead to 10 points. USC 63, Cal 53.

5:03 second half. USC increases its lead to 12 points, its biggest lead of the game, and Cal is in deep trouble: USC 65, Cal 53.

3:14 second half: USC is blowing it open and shooting 65.2% in the second half. Mobley has 19 points, and Peterson and Ellis have 14 apiece for the Trojans, who lead by 15. Grant Anticevich has 16 for Cal. USC 70, Cal 55.

2:30 second half: Cal cuts the lead to 10: USC 70, Cal 60.

1:54 second half: Jordan Shepherd makes two free throws to make the margin eight points. USC 70, Cal 62

Final: USC 77, Cal 63

Cover photo of Jalen Celestine is by Rob Edwards, KLC Fotos

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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