Tre White and Kobe Johnson each scored career-highs with 22 and 21 points, and Southern California went on a late 14–2 run to secure its fourth straight win, an 80–74 defeat of Washington on Saturday, Feb. 4, in Los Angeles.
The Trojans (17–6, 9–3 Pac-12) trailed 60–58 with 4:11 remaining after Washington’s Keyon Menifield connected on a 3-pointer for part of his 21 points. USC responded by scoring the next seven points: a Boogie Ellis jumper, a Johnson 3-pointer and White’s putback basket.
The quick burst fueled the Trojans’ 14–2 run, giving them a lead they held the rest of the way.
Washington (13–12, 5–9) rallied to score 12 points in the final 54 seconds, twice cutting the deficit to four points, but got no closer.
USC made all 10 of its free-throw attempts in the closing 1:03 to keep the Huskies at arm’s length. The Trojans finished the night 18–of–21 from the line, led by Johnson’s perfect 9–of–9.
Johnson added five assists and four steals. White, who shot 10 of 16 from the floor, grabbed eight rebounds and dished four assists.
Drew Peterson flirted with a triple-double for the Trojans despite a poor shooting night of 4–of–14 from the floor. He scored 11 points, grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and passed for a game-high eight assists.
Twenty-three of USC’s 29 made field goals were assisted.
The win extended the Trojans’ home-court winning streak to 12 games, and keeps USC within a game of first-place in the Pac-12.
Keion Brooks Jr. scored 22 points for Washington and snagged a game-high 12 rebounds. Brooks and Menifield both passed for four assists. Menifield shot 4–of–6 from behind the 3-point arc, but the rest of the Huskies went just 2–of–11 from deep.
