LOS ANGELES (AP) — Drew Peterson scored 16 points and the Southern California No. 15 got off to a slow start to defeat Arizona State 78-56 Monday night.
The Trojans (17-2, 7-2 Pac-12), playing their third game in five days, trailed 12 points midway through the first half. They missed 15 of their first 18 and committed eight turnovers in the first 14 minutes before turning things around.
USC closed the first half on a 21-2 run to take a 31-24 halftime lead.
A 3-pointer from DJ Horne put the Sun Devils up 41-35 before the Trojans put him out of reach with a 14-2 run.
USC’s biggest lead was 25 at the end of the second half. Isaiah Mobley, Max Agbonkpolo and Chevez Goodwin added 12 each.
Marreon Jackson led Arizona State (6-11, 2-5) with 21 points and Jalen Graham had 15. The Sun Devils (6-11, 2-5) – who have lost five of their last six – were without coach Bobby Hurley and guard Jay Heath after the two were suspended one game by Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff for verbally confronting officials following Saturday’s 79-76 loss at Stanford.
KEY EXECUTION
Graham’s jumper with 6:19 left in the first half gave Arizona State a 22-10 lead before USC came back with 16 straight points to take the lead. The run included four straight 3-pointers — two each by Mobley and Dizon-Waters — before jumper Boogie Ellis put the Trojans in the lead 24-22 with 3:34 left.
FIND THEIR TOUCH
After starting 3 of 18 from the floor, USC hit 20 of its next 28 shots and finished the night with 45.8 percent (27 of 59).
HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN
It was the first home game USC had fans in since Dec. 15. Only families and guests of players and coaches were allowed to attend games against Oregon State and Oregon due to COVID-19. USC resumed in-person classes Monday after the first two weeks of the spring semester were conducted remotely.
FOLLOWING
Arizona State: Travels to third-ranked Arizona on Saturday.
USC: Hosts Stanford Thursday night.
