Sun Devils Jump Out to Early Lead, but USC Notches 78-56 Win at Galen

The Sun Devil men's basketball team (6-11, 2-5) fell to USC (17-2, 7-2) on Monday night in Los Angeles, 78-56.

Foul trouble and a depleted roster proved to be too much for the Sun Devils to overcome during Monday night's contest. There were only seven scholarship players available to suit up for ASU and by the time the final buzzer sounded, five Sun Devils had at least three fouls. 

Arizona State started the game on a 15-5 run, led by Marreon Jackson, who scored eight of his team-leading 21 points during that stretch. This run, along with a sluggish start from USC, helped the Sun Devils jump out to a 22-10 lead with about six minutes left in the first half. However, the Trojans quickly made things interesting after hitting four straight three-pointers in the midst of a 21-2 run to end the half. 

The Sun Devils were not able to regain the lead after halftime. USC outscored Arizona State 47-32 in the second half while shooting .516 from the field. 

Marreon Jackson had his best scoring performance as a Sun Devil scoring a season-high 21 points and hitting five three-pointers, another best for him in a Sun Devil jersey. Jalen Graham added 15 points and DJ Horne scored 14.

Arizona State finishes off their three-game road trip this Saturday when they face Arizona in Tucson at 12:30 PM MT on CBS.