USC Men's Basketball Opens 3-Game Homestand Hosting UC Riverside Tuesday

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The USC Trojans (8-2, 3-1) will host the UC Riverside Highlanders (4-2, 1-1) at the Galen Center on Jan. 12 at 6:00 p.m. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with J.B Long and Bill Walton calling the action. USC has matched a season high with a three-game winning streak and has won five of its last six games.

ROAD TRIP REVIEW -- USC defeated Arizona 87-73 in Tucson, Ariz. on Jan. 7 snapping a 10-game road losing streak at Arizona, then snapped a seven-game road losing streak at Arizona State with a 73-64 win on Jan. 9.  The sweep in the desert of Arizona and ASU was USC's first since the 1985 season.  It also marked USC's first 2-0 start in Pac-12 road games since the 2007 season. USC had a .486 shooting percentage and held the Arizona school to a combined .372 shooting percentage.  USC also outrebounded the desert schools 82-62 in the two games.  

FACING UC RIVERSIDE  -- UC Riverside (4-2, 1-1) is coming off a home split vs. Hawai'i, falling 88-83 on Jan. 8, then winning 70-68 on Jan. 9.  USC is 5-0* all-time against UC Riverside, winning the last meeting 70-26 on Dec. 15, 2012.  Forward Arinze Chidom leads the Highlanders in scoring with an 14.8 average.    * 1 win in 2008 vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 6-0  

USC SNAPS 7-GAME LOSING STREAK AT ASU  -- Evan Mobley had 19 points, a career-best 13 rebounds and 6 blocked shots, as USC beat Arizona State 73-64 in Tempe, Ariz. on Jan. 9.  Tahj Eaddy scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half and grabbed nine rebounds.  Isaiah Mobley added 13 points and 10 rebounds, marking the second time this season the Mobley brothers recorded a double-double in the same game.   USC seemingly had a comfortable 18-point lead at 36-18 with 2:08 remaining in the first half, but ASU closed the half on a 14-0 run, 11 coming from Holland Woods.  ASU scored the first three points of the second half to make it a 17-0 run before Drew Peterson hit a free throw to make it 37-35 for USC. Woods had a steal and layup to give ASU a 58-56 lead with 7:03 to play. The Trojans answered with a 17-6 run to close out the game. USC held ASU to 33.9 percent shooting and outrebounded them 50-30. USC also struggled shooting, making 39.3 percent of its shots and 13.6 percent from three-point range (3-for-22). USC had 12 blocks, its most since getting 14 vs. Pepperdine on Dec. 11, 2016.  

MAGIC MARKER --  With the 73-64 win over ASU on Jan. 9, USC is now 76-4 in its last 80 games when holding the opposition to under 70 points scored dating back to Feb. 28, 2015.  

DOING IT WITH DEFENSE -- USC has held its opponents to 35.7 percent shooting this season, second-best in the country. USC's opponents have shot over 40 percent from the field three times in the first 10 games.      

USC HOSTING BLOCK PARTY -- USC has had 62 blocks in its first 10 games for an average of 6.2 blocks per game.  That average ranks second in the country in that category.  Freshman Evan Mobley is averaging 3.0 blocks per game, tied for seventh in the country and first among freshmen.  

EFFICIENT OFFENSE -- USC is second among Pac-12 with an 77.1 scoring average and is first with a +13.4 scoring margin.  USC also leads all Pac-12 teams with a 48.3 shooting percentage this season.  It is early in the season, but the last time USC had a higher team field goal percentage was the 1985 season when it finished shooting .487 from the floor.  The USC record since team statistics were kept in 1948 is 50.2 percent set in the 1974 season.  

IT'S A TEAM GAME -- Eight Trojans have already had at least one game of 10 points scored or more this season.  Eight Trojans are averaging at least 5.7 points per game.  

PLAYING PAINT BALL -- USC has outrebounded its opponents 414-339 through the first 10 games and has outscored the opposition 350-242 on points scored in the paint.  

LIKE NIGHT AND DAY --  In its eight wins, USC is shooting 51.0 percent from the floor (236-for-463) and in its two losses is shooting 37.2 percent (42-for-113).  USC has also outrebounded or had the same amount of boards as the opposition in all eight of the wins (89 total rebounds) and was outrebounded in both of its losses (14 total rebounds).  

MOBLEY NAMED PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK -- Evan Mobley was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for Jan. 4-10 as he averaged 19.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in a road sweep of the Arizona schools.  It was his second selection this season.  

MOBLEY NAMED TO MIDSEASON WOODEN AWARD WATCH LIST -- USC freshman forward Evan Mobley was named to the 25-man Wooden Award Midseason Watch List for the top men's collegiate basketball player. Mobley is one of four freshmen on the list.