Rory O'Neil went 9-of-10 from the floor and netted a game-high 22 points
to pace USC to a 78-63 nonconference win over Cal State Fullerton at the
Sports Arena Wednesday night.
The game was close for the first 10 minutes until USC (3-3) used a 28-16
run to end the half ahead 41-29 in front of 2,096 at the Sports Arena.
The Trojans shot 52 percent overall and made 10-of-18 three-point tries.
Aside from O'Neil's red-hot performance, the Trojans' Robert Hutchinson
made his first seven shots of the game and hit all three of his 3-point
attempts en route to 17 points.
Ralphy Holmes scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half for the Titans
(1-5), who have lost three in a row. They were playing USC for the first
time and fell to 2-17 against Pac-10 schools. Pape Sow added 18 points
in a game attended by three NBA scouts, including ones from the Los Angeles
Lakers and Clippers. The Titans committed a season-high 25 turnovers.
Fullerton led by four points early in the game, which was tied three times
in the first half. Hutchinson sparked the Trojans' big run by scoring
eight consecutive points in the spurt that gave USC its first double-digit
lead of the game. Holmes scored 12 of his points during USC's run.
The Trojans' hot shooting continued in the second half, when they maintained
at least a 20-point lead for much of the way. They had 12 steals and 22
turnovers in the game. USC opened with a 20-7 run, including four 3-pointers,
to take a 61-36 lead.
Fullerton outscored USC 15-8 to get to 69-51 with six minutes left in
its only consistent scoring run of the second half.
The Titans, who host Idaho State on Saturday at 7:05 p.m., also learned
on Wednesday that senior Brandon Campbell will miss at least a couple
of weeks due to a degenerative bone problem in his left ankle.
