USC leans on defense to suffocate No. 5 Arizona

Field Level Media|published: Sun 10th March, 24:35 2024

Mar 2, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd on the sidelines against the Oregon Ducks during the first half at McKale Center. credits: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Johnson scored 19 points and headlined a tenacious Southern California defense with six steals and the Trojans held No. 5 Arizona to a season-low point total in a 78-65 win on Saturday in Los Angeles.

USC (14-17, 8-12 Pac-12) forced 18 turnovers while limiting Arizona to just 24-of-62 shooting from the floor (38.7 percent) on the night.

Operating out of an extended zone defense for stretches, the Trojans were able to shut down driving lanes and collapse when the Wildcats got the ball into the paint. USC's aggressive defense extended to possessions with multiple shot attempts, as Arizona went without a second-chance point until the closing moments despite grabbing 14 offensive rebounds.

Boogie Ellis had a quiet night offensively with just five points on 1-of-8 shooting but swiped three steals to contribute on defense. DJ Rodman matched Johnson with the game's scoring high of 19 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

Rodman hit a 3-pointer with 5:53 remaining that was instrumental to snuffing out an Arizona rally.

Isaiah Collier added 16 points for USC, going 5-for-5 at the free-throw line as the Trojans went 16-for-18 from the charity stripe compared to Arizona's 11-for-16.

Keshad Johnson made four 3-pointers in the second half while trying to jump-start the Wildcats' comeback effort. He finished with 17 points, matching Oumar Ballo for the team scoring high.

Ballo also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Caleb Love, a leading contender for Pac-12 Player of the Year, finished with just two points on 1-of-10 shooting from the floor.

Arizona (24-7, 15-5) had its four-game winning streak snapped with the loss, but it had already clinched the conference championship on Thursday. It will be the No. 1 seed at next week's Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.

USC takes a three-game winning streak into Las Vegas.

On Saturday, the Trojans scored the final five points of the first half to take a 34-30 lead into the break. They later led by 11 following a Rodman layup with 8:49 remaining in the game and put the finishing touches on the victory with a late 10-2 run.

—Field Level Media