LOS ANGELES — The USC men’s basketball team is taking its time to identify its starting point guard.
Two exhibition wins and Monday night’s 94-64 victory over Cal Poly in the Trojans’ regular-season opener each saw a different starter in that position.
Rodney Rice was first on the floor at point guard against the Mustangs and finished the game with 20 points and eight assists. USC had major offensive contributions from multiple players, though, and five Trojans ended the game with 10 or more points.
Ezra Ausar and Jacob Cofie each scored a team-high 21 points. Cofie added a team-best 10 rebounds and three blocked shots and Ausar grabbed six boards while shooting 9 for 16 from the free-throw line.
Starting forward Chad Baker-Mazara had 12 points and seven rebounds and jumped up for a big block with nine minutes left in the game to deliver the final blow to Cal Poly’s offense. The Mustangs couldn’t overcome what was a 69-53 deficit at that point.
USC picked up the pace significantly after Cal Poly’s Cayden Ward threw down a dunk with 15:37 remaining in the first half. The Trojans went on a 9-0 scoring run and shot 4 for 4 during the surge.
Jaden Brownell did a little bit of everything in that time frame. He made a layup to start the run and a short series of perimeter passes got the ball in his hands for a 3-pointer. Roughly 30 seconds later, he dished the ball to Cofie for a dunk.
Brownell contributed 10 points and shot 4 for 7 from the field in 12 minutes.
Cal Poly did its best to force USC to the perimeter for the final 10 minutes of the opening half. The Trojans shot 35.7% from 3-point range in the frame, but nine turnovers in that same timespan kept the Mustangs in the game.
Jake Davis came out from under the basket to make a buzzer-beating layup, and USC held a 37-31 advantage midway through the game.
USC was unable to put together a lengthy scoring run to start the second half and instead scored in spurts. Chad Baker-Mazara, who is known for his ability to make contested shots, went cold as multiple Cal Poly defenders had eyes on him at all times.
However, Baker-Mazara was able to get to the free-throw line, going 6 for 7 there.
Cofie’s third dunk of the game gave USC a 54-40 advantage and he followed that with a deep 3-pointer a short time later to keep his team ahead 57-45. The Trojans scored 57 points in the second half to coast to victory.
USC returns to the Galen Center against Manhattan on Sunday at 3 p.m.
More to come on this story.