USC basketball team can’t keep up with New Mexico, goes 0-2 in Palm Springs

PALM SPRINGS — USC’s Thanksgiving week trip to the desert didn’t yield any wins but left the Trojans with plenty to work on.

Tru Washington scored 20 points, Donovan Dent added 17 points, 11 assists and six rebounds and New Mexico beat USC, 83-73, on Friday night in the third-place game of the four-team Acrisure Classic.

Nelly Junior Joseph added 15 points for New Mexico (6-2) and Mustapha Amzil scored 10.

Dent and Washington sandwiched 3-pointers around a fast-break layup by CJ Noland and Atiki Ally Atiki threw down a dunk to cap a 10-0 run that made it 57-43 with 13:14 left and the Lobos led by double figures until the closing seconds.

Josh Cohen scored 14 points for USC (5-3). Chibuzo Agbo had 13 points and seven rebounds, Desmond Claude had 13 points and three steals and Terrence Williams II scored 11. Saint Thomas had nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Agbo hit two 3-pointers before Cohen made a jumper to give the Trojans an 8-4 lead but New Mexico scored the next eight points. Thomas answered with a 3-pointer and Williams made the first of two free throws to tie it about 3 minutes later, but Braden Appelhans answered with a 3-pointer to make it 15-12 with 11:38 remaining in the first half and the Lobos never trailed again.

Dent is the only player in the nation to have at least 10 points and five assists in every game this season.

USC was crushed, 71-36, by St. Mary’s in its opener on Thursday night.

UP NEXT

USC opens Big Ten play against Oregon on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Galen Center.