One of the few positives USC could take away from its game Wednesday night was its run in the final two minutes that boosted the Trojans to a 75-65 win over Long Beach State at Galen Center.
Nick Rakocevic started USC’s night swinging from the rim after a dunk, as the Trojans struggled to break ahead of the 49ers. The Trojans scored 10 fewer points than they averaged going into the matchup.
The teams were tied 9-9 after 11/2 minutes of play, but Derryck Thornton forced a turnover and made a fastbreak basket, prompting an 11-5 run to give the Trojans a six-point lead with less than eight minutes left in the half.