USC hunts down Oregon State, snaps losing streak in dominant win

Four Trojans scored 12+ points to snap their longest losing streak since 2015.

By James Bao

February 3, 2024

Published on Annenberg Media

Photo by WESLEY CHEN

The Trojans have stopped the bleeding.

After suffering its longest losing streak since 2015, USC (9-13, 3-8 Pac-12) was due for redemption. And the Trojans achieved just that on Saturday at the Galen Center, tearing apart the Oregon State Beavers 82-54.

“Good team win,” head coach Andy Enfield said. “The guys played very hard defensively; I thought the energy was great.”

The Beavers came out on top in the two teams’ last conference matchup on Dec. 30 in Corvallis, Oregon. But USC holds the historical advantage, winning 11 of the last 16 matchups against Oregon State, seven of which were at home.

As the whistle was blown and the ball landed in the hands of freshman guard Bronny James, the first possession of the game turned into a ferocious two-handed slam for freshman forward Arrinten Page, setting the tone for 40 minutes of USC dominance.

The Trojans could not have asked for a stronger start.

Page’s electrifying dunk translated into an offensive outburst for the cardinal and gold. Capitalizing on the momentum, USC went on a 10-0 scoring run behind deadeye shooting from fifth-year guard Boogie Ellis and sophomore guard Oziyah Sellers, who each hit a 3-pointer.

“Boogie was terrific,” Enfield said. “He shared the ball; he made the right play at the right time over and over again.”

Graduate forward DJ Rodman had one of those nights. He drew two offensive fouls on the Beavers within one minute of checking into the game and tied his career-high 14 rebounds alongside 12 points and two assists by the end.

“I’ve been focusing on rebounding more, I’m not a high-volume scorer as everyone knows, … but the one place I could make a difference was rebounding.” DJ Rodman

“I’ve been focusing on rebounding more,” Rodman said. “I’m not a high-volume scorer as everyone knows, … but the one place I could make a difference was rebounding.”

Feeding off of Rodman’s smart and physical play, USC continued to draw seven personal fouls from Oregon State and entered the bonus just seven minutes into the first period.

For the Beavers, all hope landed on the shoulders of sophomore guard Jordan Pope, who came in averaging 17.6 points per game and ranked top 20 in minutes per game. Despite shooting perfectly on the court, Pope found his opportunities stifled by Trojan double-teams and managed only four shot attempts with six turnovers.

“We made [Pope] work,” Enfield said.

The Trojans dominated the paint, outscoring the Beavers 40-16 under the basket along with 20 offensive rebounds.

“Tonight, I thought we showed a lot of toughness defensively. First of all, to make them miss and then, secondly, to try and rebound the ball,” Enfield said. “I thought we were flying around on defense, meaning we were rotating and had energy.”

Having always been one of the better defensive teams, USC held Oregon State to 35% in field goal percentage and only 28% from beyond the arc. In their last five games, the Trojans have held their opponents to an average of less than 39% from the field.

Offensively, USC averaged 62.5 points over the span of its six-game losing streak, but that number was shattered by a display of team effort, as the team put together 82 points in front of the home crowd.

Junior forward Harrison Hornery racked up a team-high 14 points in only 14 minutes. He was joined by Sellers, Rodman and sophomore forward Kijani Wright, all of whom contributed 12 points to the scoring column.

“We all had a feeling this morning that we were going to win this game. It was just good to get out there to be aggressive and play my game.” Harrison Hornery

USC thrives when scoring is shared. The Trojans have seen at least three players score 10 or more points in 15 games this season and were 9-6 in those stretches. When three or more players have scored in double figures over the last four seasons, USC has an impressive record of 71 wins and 17 losses.

Injuries continue to take a toll on USC, with players missing a combined 40+ games this season due to injury or illness. Sophomore forward Vincent Iwuchukwu sprained his ankle after playing only six minutes; he put up five points and a rebound.

“I thought [Vincent] was dominant in his six minutes before he sprained his ankle. He was terrific on offense and defense,” Enfield said.

The victory against Oregon State was much needed for USC, as it struggled to find its footing this season, but Enfield remains confident in the team.

“Basketball is supposed to be a competitive sport and have some fun doing it,” Enfield said. “If you lose too much, you don’t have much fun. We hope this is a nice way to start this week on the road.”

The Trojans will look to begin a win streak against the Cal Golden Bears Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Berkeley.