Trojans Win Exhibition

Frequently employing a four-guard lineup that made good use of the team’s athleticism, USC ran by the L.A. City All-Stars, 99-79, in the Trojans’ basketball exhibition opener before 750 at the Lyon Center on Friday night.

Senior guard Desmon Farmer scored a game-high 26 points and had five rebounds, and twin freshmen guards Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart each scored 15 points.

“Every game matters but this was just to see where we’re at,” said Farmer, who also had four steals but committed five turnovers. “We’re trying to be one of the top defensive teams in the country.”

Coach Henry Bibby said the Trojans have a long way to go after allowing the Stars to shoot 46.3% from the field and getting outrebounded, 39-34.

“We were bad defensively last year and we’re bad defensively now,” Bibby said. “We didn’t push ourselves. We’re not in condition to play defense the way we want to right now.”

The Trojans played without junior forward Nick Curtis, who has sore knees and is aiming to play in the regular-season opener Nov. 21 at Western Michigan, and senior guard Roy Smiley, who is lost for six weeks with a bone bruise on his left ankle. Smiley, though, said the broken bone in his left leg, suffered in the Pacific 10 Conference tournament title game in March, had healed.