USC ends skid with blowout win over California

The USC Trojans were desperate for a win after a nerve-wracking march through Oregon and it showed as they rolled to a 97-60 win over California, the Pac-12’s worst team, on Thursday night.

USC dominated from start to finish, opening the game with a 13-0 run and never looking back. Drew Peterson and Boogie Ellis, who had both been quiet in their previous game, came alive to score 52 points together, enough to beat Cal alone. Peterson was particularly outstanding, scoring a career-high 30 points, plus seven rebounds and six assists.

USC coach Andy Enfield was pleased with the performance, especially the shots coming in. “We didn’t see too many last week,” he said. However, he was aware that the Trojans still have a lot of work to do if they are to make a postseason push. The defense was still missing Joshua Morgan, their injured defender down the middle, and the offense was still prone to errors.

The Trojans now face a tough test ahead as they embark on their journey to the Rocky Mountains and are in desperate need of victories in Colorado and Utah. USC’s postseason dreams remain intact, but they must do more than just beat Stanford, their next opponent and the Pac-12’s worst team. “We’re not too worried about the bracketologists or the NET rankings right now. We’re concerned about improving as a team and controlling what we can control right now,” said Enfield.