Advertisement

USC cruises to another win, this time over lowly Oregon State

USC forward Chimezie Metu goes up for a dunk against Oregon State during the first half Thursday night.
(Shotgun Spratling / Los Angeles Times)
Share

The USC basketball team has attracted scant attention. The Trojans haven’t cracked the Associated Press top 25 in weeks. Coach Andy Enfield sounded amused on a weekly teleconference this week when Pac-12 reporters asked him a total of one question. For some out-of-town viewers, an early chunk of Thursday’s game against Oregon State on Pac-12 Networks was preempted by the end of a volleyball match.

Meanwhile, USC quietly continues to win. A 92-66 victory over Oregon State stretched USC’s winning streak to five games, tied for longest in the Pac-12 Conference.

It did so without drama. USC (21-4, 8-4 in the Pac-12) led for all but four minutes in its second-most lopsided victory of the season.

Advertisement

“A good all-around team effort,” Enfield said.

Before Thursday, USC had cruised to 20 wins despite playing only three games at full strength. Forward Bennie Boatwright had been sidelined for an extended period because of a knee injury. When he came back, forward Charles Buggs was sidelined because of a sore knee and guard Shaqquan Aaron then suffered lower back and tailbone injuries on a hard fall.

All three played on Thursday. USC could finally unleash its full complement of weapons against lowly Oregon State (4-21, 0-12).

No player played more than 30 minutes. Reserves scored 39 points, including a big chunk from Aaron, who led all scorers with 21 points to go with six rebounds. Boatwright was next with 16 points. USC used big lineups and small, zone defenses and man to man.

Boatwright’s presence allowed Enfield to indulge in a rare luxury: options. Several players made cameos and none had to carry the team for prolonged stretches. Chimezie Metu, in the post, executed one of the quicker spin-and-dunk moves either team will see all season. He scored 11 points with seven rebounds. In consecutive second-half possessions, guard Elijah Stewart made two free throws, converted a steal and dunk, then made an acrobatic up-and-under layup. He scored 14 points.

“Sometimes when you have a player out for 18 games like Bennie, it’s hard to get them back into the rotation without affecting your team,” Enfield said of Boatwright, who sat out 17 games and all but three minutes of an 18th. “Bennie, he’s so skilled that he’s able to let the game come to him.”

Said Aaron: “Bennie’s a dangerous weapon. He can score inside, outside. So it helps everyone around him.”

Advertisement

USC’s range of scoring options threatens to make it a dangerous draw in tournament play next month. On their path there, the Trojans’ consistency has evidenced the program’s maturation. USC’s four losses came against teams in the top half of the conference standings. It has cleaned up against lesser competition.

The Beavers rank at the bottom of that heap. They began the season without maxing out their load of scholarship players, then endured the loss of their best player, Tres Tinkle. The result has been miserable. They haven’t won since Dec. 21 , when they defeated Kent State in what turned out to be an upset.

Against USC, Oregon State scored the game’s first six points, two three-pointers on its first two possessions. USC wrestled back the lead before the first television timeout and never trailed again. At one point early, the Trojans made three-pointers on four straight possessions. They made 10 of 22 overall.

Late second half, USC’s in-game DJ whiled away the time by engaging a fan in a dance-off on the video board.

USC will now hunt for bigger game to mount atop its resume. Its next opponent may be the biggest trophy remaining: No. 5 Oregon.

The Ducks pummeled USC in an earlier meeting; Saturday’s game will gauge USC’s progress since Boatwright’s return.

Advertisement

“I feel like, I still feel like, we can play with anybody in the county,” Boatwright said.

zach.helfand@latimes.com

Follow Zach Helfand on Twitter @zhelfand

Advertisement