USC Nearly Poi-fect in Upset of Missouri

After being taught a physical lesson by No. 15 Utah last Saturday, USC turned teacher against No. 18 Missouri on Thursday night in the first round of the Rainbow Classic.

The Trojans played a near-perfect first half and then withstood a seven-minute second-half scoring drought to defeat Missouri, 75-64, at the Special Events Arena. USC (7-2) will play No. 1 Massachusetts at 5 p.m. in today’s semifinal. The Minutemen defeated North Carolina State, 78-67.

“I don’t think that we were given any respect coming here. Ever since we arrived, we’ve heard jokes about our program and our loss at Utah,” USC Coach Charlie Parker said. “We wanted to go out and show that we have a quality team.”

With the memory of Utah’s 84-49 victory still on their minds, the Trojans started the game determined not to be pushed around as they were by the Utes, who held USC to only 19 first-half points.

Behind the ballhawking talents of Stais Boseman, USC’s pressure defense gave Missouri problems from the opening tip as the Trojans held the Tigers to 39% shooting from the floor in taking a 46-32 halftime lead.

“They were more aggressive than us from the start,” Missouri center Simeon Haley said. “They came out pushing and banging and we just weren’t ready for it.”

Keeping Missouri’s offense off-balance by constantly switching from man to zone defenses, USC beat the Tigers to nearly every loose ball and rebound and had Missouri looking for answers going into the locker room at halftime.

USC, which shot 50% from the field, was led by Brandon Martin’s 13 first-half points, while Boseman scored 12 and had three steals.

“Coach gave us a great speech before the game and that really fired us up,” said Boseman, who finished with a team-high 19 points and eight rebounds. “That might not have been our best half of basketball, but it definitely was our most intense.”

USC opened a 17-point lead early in the second half, 49-32, after a technical by Missouri Coach Norm Stewart for complaining about the Trojans’ physical play. From there, the Trojans withstood two minor runs by the Tigers before USC’s offense slowed after a three-point basket by Tyson Reuter with 11:25 remaining and the Trojans ahead, 61-45.

Over the next 7:26, USC missed 10 shots and was outscored, 11-0, to cut the Trojans’ lead to 61-56. Then, with 3:59 remaining, Boseman made the play of the game when he dove out of bounds for a rebound and passed inside to Avondre Jones, who made a layup and was fouled by Haley.

“That was an excellent play by Stais,” said Jones, who fouled Haley out on the play. “I was there to pick up his pass and just went up with it for a layup.”

Jones’ basket turned out to be the Trojans’ only field goal in the final 11:25, but because of some solid free-throw shooting by Martin, who finished with 16 points and four rebounds, and Boseman, who made eight of 10 from the foul line, USC was able to hold on for the victory.

“We’re not really worried about who we’re playing because we know that we have to play intense and hard each and every time,” Martin said.

“We can’t pick and choose when we want to play like that.”

USC’s Cameron Murray may have broken out of a shooting slump with 12 points, making two of four three-point attempts. Murray also had a team-high five assists and held Missouri shooting guard Jason Sutherland to eight points with four turnovers.

“Now we have play our toughest game,” Parker said about today’s semifinal. “Playing a game after a big win is always tough. It’s more of a mental thing than physical. But, that’s why we came here and that is to play against the best.”