It’s Boogie’s night, with 31points, and no turnovers to help USC beat UCLA 77-64

USC Trojans #5 Boogie Ellis (G) scored a career-high 31 points and no turnovers against the UCLA Bruins at the Galen Center. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

LOS ANGELES, CA - Boogie scored 31 points and had no turnovers to help the USC Trojans (15-6, Pac-12, 7-3) beat the No.8 UCLA Bruins (17-4, Pac-12, 8-2) at the Galen Center 77-64 in front of a sold-out crowd.

Tonight was the second game Ellis did not commit any turnovers while scoring a career-high 31 points. USC's head coach Andy Enfield, after the game, spoke about the play of Ellis.

"Six assists and no turnovers; 31 points and 27 in the second half, that's a pretty special game. We started to isolate him. We tried to set ball screens and get him on some of the defenders that we thought he could attack. He did a nice job of making the right decision. Made a couple of big, big shots for us. Boogie was upset last game at Poly, where he missed a shot to tie it up at the end and also was called for an offensive screen with 15 seconds left in the game; so he was disappointed, but we're a team one play doesn't decide a game usually. But when you have close games down in the last minute, you'd like to win some, so tonight didn't come down to the last minute, and our guys did their job."

Drew Peterson was second in scoring for the Trojans with 16 points, and Kobe Johnson with 10 points. Vincent Iwuchukwu played 17:21 for the Trojans and had a key block shot late in the game that kept UCLA at bay while scoring six points.

The Bruins were led in scoring by JamieJaquez Jr. with 15 points, Tyger Campbell and David Singleton both with 14 points, and Amari Bailey with 11 points.

UCLA Bruins #24 Jamie Jaquez Jr. (G) three-point shot at the Galen Center. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

Ellis would give the Trojans a 2-0 lead in the first half. Jaquez Jr. would tie the game 2-2 with his jump shot. Jaquez Jr. would block Kobe Johnson’s shot which led to a fastbreak for UCLA.

The Bruins led 5-2 with a dunk by Adem Bona. Drew Peterson would knock down a three-pointer to tie the game 5-5. Bona gave UCLA a 6-5 lead after making a free throw.

UCLA trailed 12-6 after a three-pointer by the Trojans' Kobe Johnson. Tyger Campbell's three-pointer made thes core 12-9. Tre White's jump shot had the Trojans leading 14-9.

UCLA tied the game 14-14 after Peterson called for a flagrant foul, and Jaylen Clark made the two free throws. Jaquez Jr.'s three-point shot had the Bruins leading 17-14.

UCLA had a six-point lead, 20-14, after a three-pointer by David Singleton. Peterson's step-back three-pointer had USC trailing 20-17.

UCLA Bruins #5 Amari Bailey (G) going strong to the basket for a layup. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

Vincent Iwuchukwu's jump shot had the Trojans down by one point, 20-19. The Bruins led 25-19 with a layup by Amari Bailey with 3:35 left in the first half. Campbell would knock down a three-pointer in front of USC's bench to lead 28-19. USC trailed 30-23 with a dunk by Iwuchukwu.

The Trojans trailed 35-25 with a jump shot by Ellis. Campbell would make another jump shot to give the Bruins a 37-25 lead at halftime.

Peterson led the Trojans in scoring in the first half with 7 points. Campbell led UCLA in scoring, with 10 points, and Singleton with 9 points.

Tre White's jump shot had the Trojans trailing 37-27 in the second half. Peterson made a three-pointer from the top of the key to make the score 40-32. USC was trailing by one point after an 8-0 run, 41-40, capped off by a three-pointer by Ellis.

USC Trojans #2 Reese Dixon-Waters going up for a layup at the Galen Center. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

Reese Dixon-Water's layup gave the Trojans a 44-43 lead with 12:14 left in the game. USC would lead by seven points, 50-43, with a three-pointer by Johnson, forcing UCLA to call a timeout with 10:23 left in the game.

Peterson would drive to the basket for a two-handed dunk to give USC a 52-43 lead, and the Trojans fans were going crazy. Singleton would make a jump shot had the Bruins down 52-45.

Amari Bailey's put-back layup had UCLA trailing 52-49. Ellis's jump shot gave USC a 56-49 lead.

Bailey would make a jump shot to make the score 56-52. Jamie Jr. would make two free throws to have the Bruins trailing 56-54.

USC would lead 58-54 with a jump shot by Ellis. Campbell made two free throws that made the score 58-56.

USC Trojans #13 Drew Peterson's (G) jump shot is being challenged by UCLA Bruins #3 Adam Bona (F) at the Galen Center. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

Peterson showed ice in his veins, knocking down a jump shot to give the Trojans a 60-56 lead. USC would lead 65-56 after Ellis made a three-pointer falling backward.

The Trojans would close out the game with free throws by Ellis and Johnson to help split the series with a 77-64 win over their cross-town rival, the UCLA Bruins.

Ellis had put the loss to the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion behind him with an incredible second half while matching UCLA with 27 points total in the second half.

I felt like the UCLA game, that definitely was on me. But, it's basketball. You will have your highs and lows, but you always gotta stay right in the middle. So I'm blessed, and I'm glad that I was able to help get this one from my team."

Two factors that were major for the Trojans’ victory were they committed only nine turnovers, fastbreak points, 17-9, and the points off of turnovers 20, while being outrebounded by the Bruins 34-26.