LOS ANGELES – The USC men’s basketball team bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a 91-56 victory over UC Irwin at the Gallen Center on Tuesday night.
Trojans center Evan Mobelli led all players with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five block shots, while Noah Bau Mann added 18 points for USC (4-1). Isaiah Molebi had nine points and six rebounds, giving the Moleli brothers 17 of the USC’s 42 rebounds. Guard Dawson Baker led the Anteaters (2-3) with 18 points in three of four attempts from a 3-point range.
“I thought tonight was a very important game for us,” said USC head coach Andy Enfield. “I was very impressed. Our coaching staff was very impressed with tonight’s leave, their intensity and their ability to run for a full 40 minutes instead of just 20.”
USC was without a point guard Ethan Anderson (back) for the second game in a row. While this absence was heavily affected by last week’s loss to Connecticut, the Trojans sought ways to compensate UCI.
The Trojans did not rely on a single ball handler, instead rolling the ball around the hand-office to find the right matchup. And the big men at USC were smart when the UCI defense collap went off four openings in the first half to open the 3-pointer.
And the USC was also quick to move into change. With 7:09 left in the first half, Max Agbonkapolo made a comeback and pushed it forward towards Bauman, which sent Drew Peterson a sting and a no-look pass for a 10-point lead.
While the U.S.C. There were four total contributions to the Yukon loss, with the Trojan making 23 of the 32 baskets. With 15 points from UCI’s 13 turnovers, USC shot 50% on 24 attempts from the 3-point range.
“I thought we played indoors and out to start the game,” Enfield said. “And when Noah Bowman hit his first 3-point shot that opened the floor.”
But there are two sides to that coin, the second is that the UCI defense struggled all night. Head coach Russell Turner called for a timeout for Colin Welp in the first half when his internal defense allowed USC center Chavez Goodwin a second chance in the open.
But when UCI left Bauman open for a change after a 3-pointer and 19-point lead minutes later, Turner scratched his head in frustration, just walking to the top of his bench.
“Drew and I actually tried to set up the tempo and do our best to put UC Irwin in a predicament where they are in a hole,” said Ba Me Mann.
The Anteaters, who have the second youngest roster in the country this season with 13 underclassmen and just two older classmen, became their race in the second half. After Mobley’s 3-pointer extended USC’s lead to 28, UC Irwin went on a run-0 run with a three-point game by Stin Johnson (10 points, seven resists).
But from there, the USC had a counter for every anteater basket, and the UCI did not come close to 17 in the second half, after which the USC knocked out 27-9. UCI was 42-34 out and only 33.8 percent off the floor, including 4-for-19 points from the 3-point range.
Turner conducted his post-game radio interview. “It’s hard to get away from this show with any kind of goodwill,” he said. “We were never able to get our feet on the defense or in the mirror. We did nothing, I don’t think, to set the game with our defense. When we won games against Power Conference teams, we were able to do that. I’m surprised we haven’t been able to do that for some time yet. ”
Meanwhile, Ivan Mobili continues to impress.
“Every time I fall on the floor, I get more comfort,” said the 7-footer. “Every day I work on (3-point shots). I think it’s paying off in sports. ”
New man’s favorite state? His intercepted shot.
“I just try to be proactive,” he said. “Whenever they drive, just try to change their shots.”
Next
UC Irwin’s next scheduled game is on December 17 at Loyola Marymont.
USC hosts Stanford in Trojans’ Pack-12 opener on Sunday.
He had fun ਐਸUSC_Hops! 🙌
Rule # Pack 12 hoops The latest man of the week @ Even_mobile7 And brothers @ Mobliyasay The Trojans scored a combined 31 points in a 91-56 victory over UC Irwin. pic.twitter.com/3NPC0dUeSS
– Pack12 Network (12 Pac12 Network) December 9, 2020
Evan Mobile with rights!
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– USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hops) December 9, 2020
SNIPERRRR!@ ਨੂਹਬਾ au ਮਨ 20 3 to 3 is 3!
: @ Pack 12 networks pic.twitter.com/Ou9DX97zJt
– USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hops) December 9, 2020
Quick break through slam Drew Peterson 23! 👀
: @ Pack 12 networks pic.twitter.com/3dIj0bSyQY
– USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hops) December 9, 2020
The first sword of the night for @ Even_mobile7!
: @ Pack 12 networks pic.twitter.com/6GRfE2d5Yy
– USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hops) December 9, 2020
