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Both teams shot just 33.3% on the night.
After nearly three weeks without a home game, the USC Trojans return to Galen Center Saturday afternoon to host the New Mexico Lobos. The Trojans are in search of offense, averaging just 55.1 points on the season, including shooting just 32.7% in their 55-40 loss at Minnesota last Saturday.
The Trojans are also allowing 55.4 points per game, and have not allowed an opponent to score more than 66 points in a game this season. The last time USC held its first nine opponents to 66 points or less was 1948. Here are the details for Saturday's game:
Teams: USC (4-5), New Mexico (6-2)
Time: 4 p.m. PST
TV: Prime Ticket, with Paul Sunderland and Brandon Granville on the call
Radio: ESPN 710 AM, with Chris Fisher and Jim Hefner on the call
Home Cooking: The last home game for the Trojans was a 65-62 victory over Morgan State on November 22, but has not played at home since. USC is 2-2 in their last four games during that span.
Iron Man: Guard Maurice Jones, the Trojans' leading scorer and assist man, has played in 356 of a possible 370 minutes this season.
A Sort of Homecoming: Tony Snell is averaging 13.5 points per game to lead the Lobos. The sophomore guard is a product of Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.
Probable Starters:
New Mexico
USC
For more USC basketball news and information, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.
USC Vs. New Mexico Basketball: Trojans Can't Buy A Bucket, Lose 44-41
The USC Trojans continued their offensive woes on Saturday night, falling 44-41 to the New Mexico Lobos at Galen Center. The Trojans have just 81 points in their last two games, both losses.
Maurice Jones led USC with 19 points and unsurprisingly played all 40 minutes. Jones leads the team averaging 39.6 minutes per contest this season and has played 396 of a possible 410 minutes all season. Jones was the only Trojan to score in double figures. He missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied the score.
USC (4-6) shot just 33.3% from the field, but also held New Mexico (7-2) to 33.3% shooting, making for an ugly night in Los Angeles. The Trojans were outrebounded 36-23 by the Lobos, but USC also forced 24 turnovers to stay close.
The Trojans trailed 38-30 with eight minutes remaining but clawed back to a 41-40 lead on a three-point play by Dewayne Dedmon with 1:51 left in the game. The Lobos hit four free throws in the final two minutes to secure the win.
"We're in a lot of close games. If the other team shoots 20 free throws and you shoot five, that means we're not playing with enough force," Trojans head coach Kevin O'Neill said after the game. "It''s difficult to finish games when you don't have go-to situations and go-to guys. That's what we've got to develop as we go along."
USC is off all week but hosts the Georgia Bulldogs next Saturday at Galen Center.
For more USC basketball news and information, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.
Dec 10 6:37p by Eric Stephen