The WAC’s UT Arlington gives the Big10 USC Trojans all they can handle at the Galen Center

         USC Trojans #1 Desmond Claude (G) is driving around a UT Arlington defender in front of their bench.                                                                                     Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

LOS ANGELES, CA - The USC Trojans (Big 10) had their hands full with the UT Arlington Mavericks (WAC) and held on to win 98-95, thanks to Desmond Claude with 26 points, Josh Cohen with 19 points, Terrance Williams II with 18 points, Wesley Yates III with 14 points, and Saint Thomas with some clutch free throws at the end of the game with 8 points.

"This is going to help us down the line in March, these kind of tight games," Cohen said after the game. "I know it's not against the greatest opponent in the world, but that team is a good team. They came out there on fire and we still won the game. We won the game, regardless of what anyone said. USC won the game tonight."

USC would dominate the paint scoring 50 points, compared to UT's 24 points, but the Mavericks' bench scored 43 points, compared to the Trojans' 21 points, and the 16 three-pointers by UT were the main reason the game went down to the wire.

"Their three-point shooting is as good as any team that I've seen," head coach Eric Musselman said. "I can't remember any of our teams ever giving up 16 threes. So, defensively, we have some things that we have to get better at.

The Trojans took an 8-0 lead in the first half with a three-pointer at the top of the key by Desmond Claude. UT called a 30-second timeout after USC's Josh Cohen's three-point shot made the score 13-2.

              UT Arlington Mavericks #1 Jaden Wells (G) three-point shot from the right side of the court.                                                                                                 Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

UT trailed by six points, 17-11, with a three-pointer by Jaden Wells. The Mavericks took the lead 23-21 with a three-pointer by Wells, giving him 17 points.

USC would regain the lead 27-23 with back-to-back baskets by Josh Cohen. UT made it a three-point game, 31-28, with a driving layup by Raysean Seamster. The Trojans pushed their lead to 40-29 with a three-pointer from the left side of the basket by Kevin Patton Jr.

The Mavericks were down by 49-37 when the Trojans' Wesley Yates III knocked down a three-pointer at the top of the key. Yates III would drive to the basket for a layup to give USC a 51-42 lead at halftime.

Cohen led USC in scoring with 12 points, Yates III with 10 points, Desmond Claude with 8 points, and Terrance Williams II with 7 points. The Trojans made 18 of 32 shots for 56.3 %.

              USC Trojans #33 Josh Cohen (F) is being gaurded by UT Arlington Mavericks #7 Brandyn Talbot.                                                                                             Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

UT's leading scorers were Wells with 20 points and Jaxon Ellingsworth with 7 points. The Mavericks made 14 of 28 shots for 50%.

The second half for the Trojans saw the Mavericks down 60-58 thanks to a three-pointer by Kade Douglas. UT would tie the game 66-66 with a layup by Raysean Seamster.

Brody Robinson's three-point shot gave the Mavericks their first lead of the game, 69-68, with 11:58. UT would remain leading by one point, 83-82, with a layup by Seamster.

The lead would change back and forth, with USC up 90-88 with a layup by Desmond with 1:38 remaining in the game.

Saint Thomas would nail two free throws to make the final score 98-95 to help secure the third win of the season for the Trojans.

Wells would finish with 27 points for the Mavericks, Ellingworth with 19 points, Seamster with 15 points, Douglas with 12 points, and Robinson with 10 points.