Chevez Goodwin, Boogie Ellis Lead No. 25 USC Men's Basketball To 78-61 Win At Florida Gulf Coast
Chevez Goodwin and Boogie Ellis combined for 38 points as USC men's basketball took its second road win of the season on Tuesday at Florida Gulf Coast, 78-61.
Goodwin finished with a career-high in points for the second straight game, scoring 20 on 10-of-15 shooting with six rebounds.
Ellis had 18 points with eight rebounds and six assists. The 6-foot-3 transfer guard from Memphis has finished with double-digit points in all three of the Trojans' games so far.
Isaiah Mobley (13 points) and Max Agbonkpolo (10) were the other two Trojans scoring in double-digits. Mobley also contributed nine rebounds and six assists.
It was the Trojans' first game playing as a ranked team during the 2021-22 season.
USC (3-0) visited Fort Myers to help facilitate head coach Andy Enfield's reunion with his previous school. Enfield and the 2012-13 Eagles, best known as the "Dunk City" team that became the first ever 15-seed in the NCAA Tournament to reach the Sweet 16, were inducted into Florida Gulf Coast's inaugural Hall of Fame class Monday night.
A warm welcome back to Florida Gulf Coast for Coach Enfield! pic.twitter.com/GNiddKMdDY
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) November 16, 2021
The Trojans needed time to settle into the near-sellout atmosphere at Alico Arena. USC made just three of its first 13 field-goal attempts, allowing Florida Gulf Coast (1-2) to take an early 15-10 lead.
The Trojans' defense took over, however, and forced seven straight Eagles misses to retake the lead later in the first half. USC took a 17-7 spurt — highlighted by Ellis' alley-oops to Goodwin and Agbonkpolo — into halftime with an eight-point lead.
Dare we say Dunk City?
📺 ESPNU // https://t.co/2HBix01mJx pic.twitter.com/7p9J5fLcIi
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) November 16, 2021
Game action in the start of the second half was nearly identical to the first with both teams trading baskets early. Florida Gulf Coast had cut USC's lead to five with 10 minutes left in the game, but an 8-0 run followed by another 7-0 spurt made the Trojans' advantage insurmountable.
After shooting just 44.2% in the first half, the Trojans bounced back with a 54.8% clip in the second period. USC committed just six turnovers the entire game — fewer than all but one game of last year's slate.
Cyrus Largie had a game-high 20 points for the Eagles.
The Trojans return to the Galen Center on Nov. 22 to host Dixie State before playing in the Paycom Wooden Legacy in Anaheim during Thanksgiving weekend.