Boogie Ellis scored 19 points, Drew Peterson added 18 points on 7–of–9 shooting and Southern California used a second-half-opening run to dispatch Colorado State 73–64 on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix.
USC (10–3) outscored Colorado State 15–3 in the first 5:20 after intermission, building a 16-point lead that proved unsurmountable for an inconsistent Rams offense.
The Trojans held Colorado State to 37.7 percent shooting from the floor, including a dismal 5 of 27 (18.5 percent) from 3-point range. USC, meanwhile, shot north 26 of 49 (53.1 percent) from the field.
Peterson’s efficient shooting touch helped set the pace, and Ellis’ 4–of–7 success from 3-point range led the Trojans to a 9–of–19 (47.4 percent) team effort from deep.
USC’s Tre White made 4 of 6 from the floor for 10 points, and Reese Dixon-Waters added another 10 points off the bench. White delivered a strong all-around performance with six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
White was one of three Trojans with two steals, along with Ellis and Peterson, while Kobe Johnson, Malik Thomas and Harrison Hornery each came up with one takeaway.
Colorado State (8–5) battled back from its steep deficit thanks to a 9–0 run midway through the second half, cutting the USC lead to five points. However, 3-pointers from both Ellis and Peterson and a Joshua Morgan jumper pushed the Trojans’ advantage back to double digits with 7:46 to play.
Rams forward Patrick Cartier led all scorers with 22 points on 8–of–10 shooting from the floor. Cartier was also a perfect 5 of 5 from the free-throw line.
Isaiah Stevens scored 15 points and dished nine assists for the Rams, while Isaiah Rivera notched 12 points.
Just four other Colorado State players scored, none more than six points. USC wound up with a 20–9 edge in points from reserves.
