Chad Baker-Mazara achieved game-highs of 31 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocked shots as Southern California powered past host San Diego with a 94-81 victory on Tuesday, fueled by an 18-2 run in the second half.
After a first half that ended in a tie at 38, USC (9-1) found themselves trailing 48-46 with 15:52 remaining in the second half. The Trojans responded by scoring the next 13 points.
When San Diego (3-6) finally broke a three-minute scoring drought with a layup from Gavin Ripp, USC quickly countered with a Baker-Mazara 3-pointer that banked in, eliciting laughter from him as he jogged back down the court.
This basket also marked Baker-Mazara’s 20th point, making him the first Trojan to score 20 or more points in four consecutive games since Byron Wesley in the 2013-14 season.
Baker-Mazara’s scoring prowess has been crucial for USC, especially with the team missing guard Rodney Rice, who averaged 20.3 points per game prior to his shoulder injury during the Maui Invitational semifinal on November 25.
Additional standout performances came from Ezra Ausar, who shot 10-of-12 from the field for a career-high 29 points, along with seven rebounds.
Ausar played limited minutes in the latter half of USC’s home loss to Washington on Saturday, which Trojans coach Eric Musselman attributed to Ausar’s performance not justifying more playtime.
Jaden Brownell contributed 16 points, hitting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Combined with Baker-Mazara’s 5-of-6 shooting, the Trojans finished the night at 9-of-15 from long range.
Dominique Ford led San Diego’s offense with 22 points, supported by Ty-Laur Johnson with 13 points and Juanse Gorosito contributing 10 points and a team-high four assists.
–Field Level Media
