USC basketball falls to New Mexico in Acrisure Classic third-place game
PALM DESERT — Tru Washington scored 20 points, Donovan Dent added 17 points, 11 assists and six rebounds and New Mexico beat USC 83-73 on Friday night in the third-place game at the Acrisure Classic.
Nelly Junior Joseph added 15 points for New Mexico and Mustapha Amzil scored 10.
Dent and Washington sandwiched three-pointers around a fast-break layup by CJ Noland and Atiki Ally Atiki threw down a dunk to cap a 10-0 run that made it 57-43 with 13:14 left and the Lobos (6-2) led by double figures until the closing seconds.
Josh Cohen scored 14 points for USC (5-3). Chibuzo Agbo and Desmond Claude added 13 apiece and Terrence Williams II finished with 11 points.
Agbo hit two three-pointers before Cohen made a jumper to give the Trojans an 8-4 lead but New Mexico scored the next eight points. Saint Thomas answered with a three-pointer and Williams made the first of two free throws to tie it about three minutes later but Braden Appelhans answered with a three-pointer to make it 15-12 with 11:38 remaining in the first half and the Lobos led the rest of the way.
Dent is the only player in the nation to have at least 10 points and five assists in every game this season.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
