New USC Coach Andy Enfield wins home opener
USC, under new Coach Andy Enfield, won its basketball home opener Tuesday night at Galen Center, beating Cal State Northridge, 95-79. Northridge also has a new coach in Reggie Theus.
Center Omar Oraby led the Trojans with 17 points and forward Byron Wesley had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Stephen Maxwell led the Matadors with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Point guard Pe’Shon Howard made a falling-down, stumbling layup just before the clock ran out to end the first half. It gave the Trojans a 42-31 lead.
Enfield shook up the starting lineup, with J.T. Terrell, who had led the Trojans with 20 points in their opening loss to Utah State, Strahinja Gavrilovic and Pe’Shon Howard, who had started at point guard, on the bench at the beginning while freshmen Julian Jacobs and Roschon Prince plus Chass Bryan started the game.
The Matadors jumped into an 8-2 lead with the help of a pair of three-pointers -- one by Landon Drew and and another by Josh Greene -- but the Trojans went ahead, 10-9, on an Oraby layup.
A Brendyn Taylor three-pointer put the Trojans ahead, 17-16, with 10 minutes 1 second left in the first half and they never lost that lead.
At halftime, Oraby and Wesley each had eight points to lead USC, Wesley also had six rebounds. Josh Greene and Stephen Maxwell each had eight points for Cal State Northridge.
Another acrobatic Howard layup gave the Trojans a 64-54 lead and with 8:30 left Terrell swished a three-pointer to make it 74-57 in favor of the Trojans (1-1).
ALSO:
USC is no match for Utah State in 78-65 opening loss
Two UCLA players make preseason Wooden Award list
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