Boogie Ellis scores 28 points and USC closes out a victory over Arizona State
The 2023-24 USC Trojans have shown a propensity to be very streaky. They often get out to an early lead in halves, only to squander their advantage down the stretch in each half. Thursday night against Arizona State, Boogie Ellis and USC played a game which was in line with much of their season. They did, however, manage to win as the Pac-12 Tournament approaches, beating ASU 81-73.
The Trojans actually started their slide earlier in the half against ASU and didn’t wait until the final minutes of the half. The Sun Devils went on a 16-2 run to erase USC’s early advantage created by Boogie’s eight points in the first several minutes of the game. USC got out to a 13-4 lead but couldn’t hold it when ASU fought back.
Boogie, though, would have the final say in this game. He kept scoring and finished with 28 points to power USC to an eight-point victory. This team, which has left a lot on the table, is making a real effort to play its best basketball in March with the hope of catching fire at next week’s Pac-12 Tournament. USC faces an uphill battle in terms of winning the tournament, but it also has to be said that no one (except maybe Arizona) wants to face this team in Las Vegas.
The Trojans are as healthy as they have been since early January when they swept the Bay area schools.
Next up for USC on Saturday is the final regular season game agasint the No. 5 Arizona Wildcats. USC has lost six straight contests to the Wildcats.
Kobe Johnson, who had 15 points against ASU, said after the game that the Trojans need to play smarter, take care of the ball, and not go for steals, which invites the possibility of giving up easy buckets and getting opposing teams to the free throw line.
If USC can finish plays — not just on offense, but on defense — this team might finally fulfill its potential and create some magic next week in Vegas.
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