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Trojans Bounce Back, Get First Win Of The Season Against Tennessee Tech

Paolo Uggetti |
November 17, 2014 | 11:41 p.m. PST

Staff Reporter

After an embarrasing loss to Portland St., the Trojans bounced back and got their first win of the season. (@EverythingSports/Twitter)
After an embarrasing loss to Portland St., the Trojans bounced back and got their first win of the season. (@EverythingSports/Twitter)

After an embarrassing, turnover-ridden loss to Portland St. in its season opener, the USC Men’s Basketball team avoided starting 0-2 for the first time since the 2005-06 season with a 70-58 win against Tennessee Tech. 

On a night where the scoring was sparse, it was sophomore guard Katin Reinhardt who stepped up and scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Trojans. Saturday night’s leading scorerfreshman guard Jordan McLaughlin—added 15 of his own as well as a game-high seven assists. 

Despite the win, the turnover trend seemed to continue in the first half, as the Trojans turned it over 11 times, but finished with an improving 16 in the game; seven less than Saturday’s debacle. 

“In the first half, we got off to a nice lead and had good flow,” said Coach Andy Enfield afterward. “But then we got stagnant and had too much dribbling.” 

Add a complete inability to control the boards allowing 22 offensive rebounds, and it was partly by the awful shooting of the Tennessee Tech that the Trojans were able to get their first win of the season. 

The Golden Eagles shot a very poor 34.9% from the field as well as an abysmal 1-of-18 from behind the three-point line. 

“We had a bit of luck with all their missed shots,” Enfield sheepishly admitted. 

In contrast, USC shot a better—yet-still below-average—45% from the field and a more than respectable 40% from three-point land.

Those final numbers are not indicative, however, of how USC got most of its points. Unable to rebound the ball well and make shots on a consistent basis, it was agressive drives to the hoop and the subsequent repeated trips to the free-throw line that got this team’s offense going. 

Reinhardt was a perfect 7-7 from the foul line, as the Trojans shot a whopping 34 free-throws and made 24 of them. The 34 free-throws were almost double the amount the Golden Eagles took and 12 more than the Trojans took in Saturday’s loss. 

One would think the disparity in shooting—especially from the charity line—should have given the Trojans the easy win, but the recurring turnovers, and especially the poor rebounding, kept the Golden Eagles in it. 

Though the Trojans never lost the lead in the game, every time the lead reached double digits it seemed there was a turnover or a second chance point that would vault Tennessee Tech within striking distance. 

Tennessee Tech dominated the paint, out-rebounding the Trojans 42-33 overall and 22-8 in offensive boards. Moreover, the Golden Eagles scored 36 of their 58 points in the painted area and 18 points solely off second-chance points. 

Somehow, someway, the Trojans were able to account for these deficiencies by turning up the defense in the second half. McLaughlin swiped 5 steals en route to a team total of 11, which was 10 more than the team amassed in the Portland St. loss, and Coach Enfield said he liked the defensive improvement all-around. 

“For the most part, we defended the ball and closed out their shooters,” said Enfield. “We knew Tennessee Tech was a good team and we knew we had to play hard to beat them.” 

Though Reinhardt and McLaughlin were the key cogs in getting this much-needed bounce back win, the most important play may have come at the courtesy of the most consistent, yet unrecognized, player on the floor. 

Sophomore guard Julian Jacobs was a perfect 4-4 from the field and made the only three-pointer he took. His biggest contribution, however, came in the form of a emphatic dunk.

With 5 minutes left in the game and USC only up by 4 Jacobs drove hard to the basket, faked a pass to the wing and then rose to the rim to give the Trojans their first dunk of the season, and one that truly got them going. 

“That sparked some energy,” Reinhardt said. 

USC never looked back after Jacobs' dunk. After not allowing the lead to drop past 7, they closed it out with a a couple more key defensive stops and five straight points from Reinhardt. 

“We were really anxious to get a win, especially being a young team and especially after losing the first game, “ he said. “We’re learning each other and getting better each game.”

The Trojans continue to show their youth and lack of experience through their erratic play at times, but now, as they travel to the Charleston Classic in South Carolina for three games, they will be forced to grow up fast.

“Getting a win is good for us now going to South Carolina and getting our confidence going,” Reinhardt pointed out. “We have to be focused and that’s what we did today.” 

Game Notes 

  • USC had 11 turnovers at the half. After only having one in the first 6 minutes of the half, they had 10 of them in the last 14 minutes of the half. 
  • Sophomore forward Nikola Jovanovic hit his first field goal of the game 8:36 left in the second half. 
  • Though McLaughlin led all USC players with 7 assists, he failed in three alley-oops lobs. Coach Enfield said he addressed the issue with the freshman. 
  • 2015 top recruit and recent USC 15' commit Bennie Boatright was at the Galen Center to watch the game. 
  • Something to keep an eye on: Through two games, the Trojans have shot only 22 three-pointers, while their opponents have shot 36 of them. 

 Reach Staff Reporter Paolo Uggetti here or follow him on Twitter.



 

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