USC upsets UCLA: Boogie Ellis' 31 points lift Trojans to 77-64 rivalry win over No. 8 Bruins

Ellis scored 31 points in the rivalry showdown

LOS ANGELES — Boogie Ellis wasn't letting it happen again. 

After committing a costly offensive foul and missing a shot in the dying moments of USC's crushing 60-58 loss to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion earlier this month, Ellis hit the dagger to give the Trojans a 77-64 rivalry win over No. 8 UCLA on Thursday night.

With 1:25 left, Ellis stepped back from well beyond the left wing and connected on a three-pointer to put USC ahead 65-56. The Galen Center erupted. 

"I felt like the first UCLA game was definitely on me," Ellis said. "But that's basketball, you're going to have your highs and you're going to have your lows, but you always have to stay right in the middle. I'm blessed and glad that I was able to help my team get this win."

Ellis finished with a career high 31 points with 27 coming in the second half. The 27 second half points tied UCLA's output as a team. 

"Boogie played like a first round draft pick tonight," USC head coach Andy Enfield said. 

USC (15-6, 7-3 in Pac-12) started the second half with a 19-6 run to take a 44-43 lead after trailing 37-25 at the break. USC outscored UCLA (17-4, 8-2) 52-27 in the second half. 

Drew Peterson scored 16 points and Kobe Johnson added 10 for USC. Jaime Jaquez Jr. paced UCLA with 15 points in defeat. 

The 75 points USC scored were the third most UCLA has allowed all year. The Bruins came into the game as the fourth best team in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to a college basketball analytics expert Ken Pomeroy. 

RESUME WIN

USC was on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament heading into Thursday night's rivalry showdown, according to multiple bracketologists. 

There's still over a month of the season to go, but USC's win over UCLA should get the Trojans into the next 68-team tournament projections. 

"We're much better than we were in the beginning of the season," Enfield said.