01/31/26 08:36:00
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01/31 20:34 CST USC holds off Rutgers' late rally, wins 78-75
USC holds off Rutgers' late rally, wins 78-75
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Ezra Ausar scored 21 points, Jacob Cofie had a
double-double and Southern California held off Rutgers for a 78-75 victory on
Saturday night.
Rutgers never led after scoring the opening bucket and trailed by as many as 19
points early in the second half. With 2:23 to play, Tariq Francis sparked an
11-2 surge for the Scarlet Knights that capped the scoring with 36 seconds
left. Francis scored nine points during the stretch.
Chad Baker-Mazara missed a jumper for USC with five seconds to go but then
forced a turnover to end it. Baker-Mazara finished with 17 points for USC
(16-6, 5-6 Big Ten). Cofie scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Francis scored 26 points to lead Rutgers (9-13, 2-9), which has lost five
straight. Dylan Grant added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Trojans started with an 18-6 run and built a 40-30 halftime lead. Cofie
scored 12 points and Ausar added nine in the first half for the Trojans. Grant
and Francis each scored nine first-half points for the Scarlet Knights. USC had
its largest lead, 56-37, with 14:37 to play.
Up next
Rutgers: at UCLA on Tuesday.
USC: hosts Indiana on Tuesday.
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