In a photograph offered by Bahamas Visible Companies, Southern California’s Tre White, proper, defends in opposition to BYU’s Noah Waterman throughout an NCAA school basketball recreation within the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visible Companies by way of AP)
Early within the second half at Imperial Enviornment, Jaxson Robinson hit a jumper to carry BYU to a 32-21 lead over USC Wednesday in The Bahamas.
The sport remained shut over the following a number of minutes.
Then the Trojans’ Boogie Ellis acquired right into a groove.
USC (4-1) went on a decisive 18-4 run halfway by the second half and ended up defeating the Cougars 82-76 in a first-round recreation of The Battle 4 Atlantis.
BYU (3-2) trailed by as many as 18 factors within the second half with just a little greater than 4 minutes remaining. The Cougars rallied, narrowing the deficit to single digits, however the Trojans held on for the victory.
Ellis had his manner with BYU, tying a career-high with 27 factors. He knocked down 7 of 9 pictures from the ground, largely an array of pull-up 2-pointers, and 13 of 17 from the free throw line.
“They’re a very good group. They’re lengthy, they’re expert. I believed Boogie was completely terrific tonight,” stated Cougar coach Mark Pope. “We simply couldn’t discover a solution for him. Their size actually bothered us. Their altering protection from man to zone actually bothered us with this younger, new group.”
Over the ultimate 20 minutes, USC shot 62% in comparison with 40% for BYU.
Robinson, who scored a career-high 14 factors, together with 4 of 8 from 3-point vary, stated his group didn’t have the identical power within the second half because it did within the first half.
“We misplaced our defensive depth,” he stated. “Within the first half, we did a fantastic job of holding these two guys (Ellis and Drew Peterson). Within the second half, we got here out and we didn’t have the depth that we had within the first half and that basically harm us.”
Gideon George famous the Cougars’ turnovers — 17 — and permitting the Trojans to grab 10 offensive boards.
“Rebounding and turnovers actually harm us,” stated George, who scored 10 factors and grabbed six rebounds. “We've got to repair that as a gaggle. We have to play a recreation with much less turnovers if we wish to win on an enormous stage.”
BYU’s Spencer Johnson additionally recorded a career-high with 18 factors. He was certainly one of 5 Cougars to make no less than two 3-pointers. Rudi Williams had 15 factors to go together with 4 rebounds and 6 assists. He was 2 of 5 from 3-point territory.
As a group, BYU drilled 12 of 32 3-pointers whereas USC made simply 2 of 10.
However from two-point vary, the Trojans had been lethal. USC shot 53% total from the ground for the sport.
The Cougars struggled from the free throw line, making solely 14 of twenty-two. USC shot even worse from the charity stripe, but it surely outscored BYU from there by going 18 of 30.
Not solely did Ellis shred the Cougars, however Peterson completed with 16 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists whereas Reese Dixon-Waters added 13 factors and Joshua Morgan chipped in 11.
USC is among the nation’s tallest groups and its peak and size vexed the Cougars at occasions. The Trojans outscored BYU within the paint 34-20.
“Within the second half, we misplaced our deal with the glass. I believed we had been actually efficient holding them to 2 offensive rebounds within the first half,” Pope stated. “I used to be actually happy with that. Within the second half, we type of collapsed and gave up eight offensive rebounds. Each time we had been making some progress within the recreation, they got here up with a very vital offensive rebound. It simply kills you.”
BYU couldn’t deal with USC’s weapons.
“They’re a sophisticated group as a result of Drew is such an elite-level playmaker. He’s such an issue,” he stated. “There are belongings you don’t strive defensively since you consider that he’ll decide you aside. He’s actually good. On the finish of the day, Boogie in isolation off ball screens was an issue for us. He fed into precisely what we wish to give away — we wish to give away lengthy, challenged twos. And Boogie’s similar to, ‘Yep, give ‘em all to me and I’ll make ‘em all.’ He did. He shot virtually 80% in that space.”
Thus far this season, the Cougars have been turnover-prone and that sample continued Wednesday.
“The primary half, we actually had a turnover situation,” Pope stated. “We had 11 turnovers and so lots of them are self-inflicted and that’s tremendous irritating. It’s simply a part of us making an attempt to determine issues out. We’ll get higher with that.”
Pressured into desperation mode late within the recreation, the Cougars used a press, which helped them minimize into the deficit and make the sport aggressive.
“My guys, they've a ton of struggle. They’re actually lovely children,” Pope stated. “They’re going to get higher as a result of they wish to get higher so badly. They’ll get extra snug with one another as a result of they’re going to mature. We’re taking part in loads of younger guys. They’ve acquired loads of struggle and loads of strive.”
Pope added that his gamers had been caught up in “considerations and worries and frustrations” in the course of the recreation, one thing they should study to beat.
“I’m happy with our guys’ effort on the finish, making an attempt to hold in there,” Pope stated. “We’re all dissatisfied with how we performed tonight. We’ll play higher tomorrow.”
The Cougars face the loser of the sport between No. 22 Tennessee and Butler at 4:30 p.m. MST on Thanksgiving Day in The Bahamas.