“It was very cliquey, but [now] we get along great”.
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Wichita State (2-2) shot 35 percent from the field (26 of 74) and 31 percent from three-point range (9 of 29). “Past year they really didn’t understand how hard you have to work”.
The Trojans are 4-0 for the first time since 2000-01 after scoring a 96-61 victory over Cal State Northridge Nov. 23 at the Galen Center.
Boatright hit another three-pointer, and then had a steal before Katin Reinhardt made a three-pointer to extend the USC advantage to 70-62.
In Coach Andy Enfield’s first two seasons at the helm, his teams went 3-1 in 2013-14 and 1-3 in 2014-15 in their first four games. Xavier was only up three points at the half, but pulled away in the second half for the easy victory. The Shockers rallied to cut the lead to just a one-possession game with just a few seconds to go, but down 72-69, Wichita State’s Zach Brown saw his potential game-tying shot attempt miss off the back iron.
Baker and McDuffie combined to score 12 points and convert a six-point deficit into a 49-43 lead. Guard Jordan McLaughlin leads the team in scoring (19.2) after registering 15 against Wichita State while Elijah Stewart (12.8) struggled to 1-of-7 shooting.
“I thought it was a heck of a basketball game”, Marshall said.
Texas 82, Washington 70: PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Eric Davis Jr. had 15 points, Cameron Ridley added 13 points and 11 rebounds and Texas fended off a barrage of late rallies to beat Washington in the consolation round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Denzel Valentine had a triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Spartans (5-0) routed the Eagles (3-1) in an opening-round game at the DirectTV Wooden Legacy in Fullerton, Calif.
McLaughlin led USC with 11 points. Emily Potter scored 15 points for the Utes (3-1). The Zags’ Silas Melson missed a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer as time expired with House contesting the shot.
STRONG IN THE CLASSROOM – Last spring the men’s basketball team set the USC record for grade-point average by the basketball roster, then during the summer it established the summer-session GPA record for the basketball program.
Nikola Jovanovic had 10 points and 10 rebounds, Jacobs had career highs in rebounds (11) and assists (10), and Bennie Boatwright had 12 points. USC has 50 three-point makes in five games for an average of 10.0 per game this season.
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BREAKING DOWN XAVIER – Xavier improved to 5-0 with a 64-45 win against Alabama in an AdvoCare Invitational first-round game yesterday. – Justin Robinson scored 22 points, including two free throws with 3.6 seconds left, and Monmouth upset Notre Dame in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational.
