Beavers Battle No. 5 USC To Wire

LOS ANGELES – Jarod Lucas had career highs with 27 points and six 3-pointers and Oregon State battled No. 5 USC to the wire before falling 81-71 on Thursday night at the Galen Center.
 
The Trojans (14-1, 4-1 Pac-12) took their first loss of the season Tuesday at Stanford and trailed by 10 during the second half against the Beavers (3-12, 1-4) before coming back. USC didn't grab its first lead until midway through the second half and didn't get firm control of the game until the final three minutes.
 
Warith Alatishe's layup gave the Beavers a 71-70 advantage with 3:55 remaining before the Trojans scored the final 11 points. Isaiah Mobley scored five straight, including a pair of free throws after Alatishe's fifth foul with 3:41 left, to put the Trojans up for good.
 
Alatishe had 15 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Beavers made 19 of their first 32 shots and had a 51-41 lead less than four minutes into the second half before they went cold and the Trojans rallied.
 
USC went on a 21-6 run over the next seven minutes, including nine points by Goodwin, to go up 65-59 on Reese Dixon-Waters' 3-pointer with 9:10 remaining. The Beavers went 2 of 14 from the field during that stretch.
 
Lucas hit a 3-pointer to give the Beavers a 35-26 lead before the Trojans went on an 11-2 run to tie it. USC appeared to have momentum after Ellis' jumper from beyond the arc tied it at 37 with 1:23 remaining, but Lucas responded with a 3-pointer to put Oregon State back on top.
 
Chavez Goodwin had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Drew Peterson added 15 points. Boogie Ellis added 14 points and Mobley had 11 for the Trojans.
 
Oregon State will next face No. 3 UCLA in a rematch of last season's overtime thriller in the Pac-12 Tournament at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
 
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