USC Hoops: Trojans Beat Arizona In Tucson

Evan Mobley and Isaiah White bully the Wildcats interior presence for a double-digit victory in the desert.

The Trojans have no pity for the kitty as their 87-73 win is the program’s largest margin of victory at Arizona since 1927.

It was a little bit of a surprise to see USC win by double-digits considering how they started. The Trojans came out the gates slow, hitting only one of their first nine shots. But they still continued to run the Wildcats off the three-point line, drive the ball to the rim on offense, and get to the free-throw line. Eventually, their efforts paid off as they hit six of seven buckets after their cold start en route to leading the half 35-34.

Isaiah White once again led the first half in scoring (9 points), just like he did against Utah. He played with a relentless energy which helped him remain super active on defense and the glass. When he’s hitting multiple threes like he did in the first half, he’s a menace to stop. Evan Mobley only made one of four shots, but he went 5-for-5 from the charity stripe for seven first half points. He wasn’t efficient, but he was aggressive and applied pressure.

Unfortunately, the Trojans interior defense didn’t apply any pressure as they were out-rebounded on the offensive glass 7-0 and got crushed in the paint 18-8. Azuolas Tibelis was responsible for most of it, as he went 7-of-10 for 17 points.

Tibelis offensive onslaught continued in the second half. He was hitting open shots from a distance, running the court, and finding the soft spot in the interior defense. He was unstoppable all night finishing with 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists on 11-of-16 shooting.

But it wasn’t enough as the Trojans offense woke up in the second half. After getting outscored in the paint by 10 in the first half, the Trojans ended up winning that battle 38-34 by the end. 

Evan Mobley flipped a switch and came alive on the interior. Isaiah White continued his hot shooting as the Trojans shot 75% from the field as a team in the second half. Evan Mobley and Isaiah White combined for 41 points on 14-of-23 shooting on the night.

Coach Andy Enfield raved about Isaiah White’s performance in the postgame presser.

“He was outstanding, he was our MVP tonight. Isaiah White gave us super energy, he played really good defense, played very hard. Then he got his hands on a lot of balls, he had two steals...he played a super all around game. This was his best game as a Trojan.”

Another player who had one of his best games as a Trojan is Drew Peterson. He flirted with a triple-double as he totaled seven points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists. Seven of those assists came in the second half which helped the Trojans set a pace.

“He’s our best passer off on-ball screens because he’s 6-foot-7 ½. He has great vision. He made a huge three tonight" said Enfield asked about Peterson’s performance.

"He’s a really good three-point shooter, just doesn’t shoot a ton of them. But he hit a huge one when we were up four to put us up seven. I thought that was a turning point in the game. ” (Enfield)

MOOOOD pic.twitter.com/q8biInvNvx

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) January 8, 2021

The Trojans might need Peterson to shoot more threes when they take on Arizona State - the third highest scoring team in the conference - on Saturday.

FINAL SCORE: USC 87 | ARIZONA 73

[Read: USC Hoops: Men's March Madness Will Be Held In A Bubble In Indiana]

For more USC news visit www.alltrojans.com. Follow us on Twitter.