USC’s road woes continue in 75-62 loss to Washington

Noah Dickerson scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Matisse Thybulle added 17 points and six steals, and Washington never trailed in beating USC 75-62 on Wednesday night for its 10th straight win.

Washington (17-4, 8-0) continued its best start to conference play since the 1952-53 season despite sloppy stretches in the second half where the Huskies had multiple wasted possessions when they could have put the Trojans away far sooner. Most egregious was three straight turnovers while leading by 11 that saw the Trojans pull within 62-55 with 5:05 left.

The Trojans still have not found the answer playing outside of Los Angeles. USC is 1-6 in games not played at the Galen Center this season, the only win coming back in November in Kansas City, Mo., against Missouri State.

Benny Boatwright led USC (12-9, 5-3) with 22 points and Nick Rakocevic added 16 points and 10 rebounds. But a third scorer never developed for the Trojans, who committed 18 turnovers and were outrebounded 40-28.

Washington led by as many as 16 late in the first half and only a late flurry of points from Boatwright, including the only three-pointer of the half for the Trojans, kept USC within 11 at the half.

Washington quickly let that lead evaporate in the opening stages of the second half, watching the Trojans pull within 41-37 after five points from Rakocevic.

But that was as close as the Trojans would get as Washington answered every USC run with big shots of its own despite stretches of sloppy play and poor shot selection.