No. 24 USC Rallies for 82-77 Win Over Troy

Saturday, December 17

Los Angeles, Calif.

9:30 P.M.

Troy University

6-5

USC

10-0

Troy

USC

No. 24 USC Rallies for 82-77 Win Over Troy

12/18/2016 12:56:00 AM | Basketball (M)

Box Score

By: Russ Schaffer

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, California – Troy was tied with No. 24 USC at 77 with 58 seconds on the clock, but USC rallied at home to defeat Troy 82-77 on Saturday night.

Jeremy Hollimon hit a 3-pointer with 1:17 left to give Troy (6-5) a 77-74 lead, but that would be the final basket Troy hit on the night. USC (10-0) responded with a jump shot by Chimezie Metu with 1:03 left to cut it to 77-76.

On the ensuing possession, DeVon Walker stepped on the line on the inbounds pass with 58 seconds left to give the ball back to USC. Metu was then fouled to send the forward to the free-throw line for a one-and-one.

He connected on the first free throw and missed the second, but USC got the offensive rebound then scored on a Jordon McLaughlin layup for a 79-77 lead with 41 seconds to go.

Troy had a couple of chances to tie up on the next possession. Jordon Varnado's layup attempt was blocked. He then grabbed his own rebound but had his shot blocked again. Troy got another offensive rebound yet the third time was not the charm as Hollimon proceeded to turn it over to USC.

McLaughlin, who led USC with 21 points, was fouled and hit two free throws for an 81-77 advantage. Hollimon missed a 3-point attempt that sealed the victory for the home team.

The game was started off by a Wesley Person 3-pointer to give Troy a 3-2 lead 36 seconds in. That play became the theme for the first half. Person was the offensive spark Troy needed as the junior had four 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. He was 7-of-16 from the floor on the night and led Troy with 19 points.

His shooting allowed Troy to lead 19-10 at 13:05 of the first half on a Jaro Moravek layup. USC eventually regained the lead 38-37 on a Nick Rakocevic tip-in, but Troy took a 40-38 halftime lead on a 3-pointer by Hollimon with two seconds on the clock. It was only the second time this season USC has trailed at home.

Troy stayed the course to open up the second half as a DeVon Walker free throw gave Troy a 10-point lead 3:15 into the second half. Troy led by at least five points from the 17:48 mark until 10:21 left in the game.

With 5:35 left in the game, Elijah Stewart, who came into the game averaging 17.1 points but scored only 11 against Troy, hit two free throws to give USC its first lead in more than 15 minutes of play.

Metu hit a twisting jumper with 4:12 to go to give USC a four-point lead but Troy continued to respond. Two free throws by Jordon Varnado and two more by Kevin Baker tied it back up at 74 before USC sealed the win with a 8-3 run to end the game.

Quotable
"Those plays at the end are magnified, but I thought the game got a little bit away from us in a stretch there in the second half," head coach Phil Cunningham said. "Midway through the second half we really struggled with their zone defense. They played zone for most of the second half and shaded (Wesley Person) wherever he went. We missed some easy shots and they got back into the game. We did a good job of fighting back, but those plays at the end of the game will be magnified."

Stat of the Game
Wesley Person had 15 points at the half on 5-of-10 shooting. His four 3-pointers in the opening frame were part of eight 3-pointers Troy had in the half. He only had four more points for the rest of the game and attempted just two 3-pointers in the second half. Person did not have a turnover in the game.

Turning Point
Troy led 61-55 with just 10:03 left to play but allowed USC to close the gap thanks in part to Jordon McLaughlin's play. The guard hit two free throws with 9:25 left to cut Troy's lead to four. Wesley Person missed a jumper and McLaughlin then missed a 3-pointer. Jordon Varnado corralled the rebound, but he was stripped by Chimezie Metu, who dished it to De'Anthony Melton for a jumper that made it a two-point game. Troy led by five on a DeVon Walker layup at 7:15, but that would be the highest Troy's lead would be for the rest of the game.

Noteworthy
• Four different players scored in double-digits for Troy. Wesley Person had 19 points, Jordon Varnado had 17, Kevin Baker added 15 and Jeremy Hollimon scored 13.

• Jeremy Hollimon has now scored in double figures for five straight games.

• USC outscored Troy 38-26 in the paint and also held the advantage in points off turnovers, 20-8.

• USC was 19-22 (86.4 percent) from the free-throw line. It is the highest percentage on free throws by a Troy opponent this season. Jordon McLaughlin was a perfect 8-8.

Up Next
Troy will travel to Laramie, Wyo. To face Wyoming on Monday at 8 p.m. in the second game of the Las Vegas Classic. For more information on Troy men's basketball, follow the team on social media at @TroyMensHoops or visit TroyTrojans.com.