No. 10 USC Men's Basketball Rallies, Beats UC Irvine 66-61 Behind Chevez Goodwin, Isaiah Mobley
LOS ANGELES — Chevez Goodwin scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and had several clutch baskets as No. 10 USC men's basketball rallied from an early 10-point deficit to beat UC Irvine, 66-61, at home Wednesday.
With USC up just three with 2:11 left in the game, Goodwin converted an and-one play that energized the Galen Center crowd.
After UC Irvine followed with two consecutive baskets, Goodwin came up clutch once more by grabbing an offensive rebound for a put-back layup with 24 seconds left to seal the game.
Clutch.
📺: @Pac12Network
📱: https://t.co/VwsWxUNQqs pic.twitter.com/ptJ0CIcHBL— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) December 16, 2021
Goodwin, a redshirt senior who transferred from Wofford in 2020, recorded his USC-high in points and finished with a season-high three blocks.
Isaiah Mobley finished with a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double. The senior captain has recorded three straight double-doubles with over 20 points.
2️⃣2️⃣ points now for @MobleyIsaiah after a corner three!
📺: @Pac12Network
📱: https://t.co/VwsWxUNQqs pic.twitter.com/L2Z7w4njEa— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) December 16, 2021
UC Irvine (5-3) is the second-highest ranked opponent in the NET that the Trojans have faced this season at No. 52. The win gives USC (11-0, 2-0 Pac-12) a Quadrant 2 victory that will factor toward NCAA Tournament seeding considerations.
Collin Welp had a game-high 24 points for the Anteaters, who were picked second in the Big West preseason polls.
USC opened the game with a 12-2 run but UC Irvine immediately responded with a 13-0 run and built the lead thereafter by slowing the Trojans' pace, causing eight first-half turnovers and getting to the free throw line with nine attempts. The Anteaters led 36-28 and led by as many as 10 points.
The Trojans roared back in the second half and erased UC Irvine's lead with a 13-4 run. Goodwin and Mobley combined for 28 of the Trojans' 38 points to close out the game.
USC heads to Phoenix Saturday for a neutral-site game at the Colangelo Classic against Georgia Tech — which features former Trojans Kyle Sturdivant and Jordan Usher — before heading to Oklahoma City Tuesday for the Compete 4 Cause Classic to face Oklahoma State.