Boogie Ellis scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished six assists, Chevez Goodwin matched the game-high with 20 points and No. 25 Southern California rode a second-half run to rout Florida Gulf Coast 78-61 Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla.
USC (3-0) went on a 12-2 run midway through the second period, turning what had been a single-digit-point margin for much of the contest into a comfortable gap.
The Trojans extended the lead to as many as 22 points in the waning minutes, their aggressive defense and scoring depth eventually overwhelming Florida Gulf Coast.
Four Trojans starters scored in double figures, including Isaiah Mobley with 13 points and nine rebounds. Max Agbonkpolo chipped in 10 points and keyed USC’s defense with four steals.
Florida Gulf Coast (1-2) hung tough for the better part of 30 minutes, closing the deficit to just five points with 10 minutes to go. Cyrus Largie led the Eagles with 20 points.
After Tavian Dunn-Martin laid in two of his nine points to pull Florida Gulf Coast to a 51-46 score, however, USC began its run. The Trojans held the Eagles to just four points for a stretch lasting more than six minutes.
Largie was the only Eagle to score in double figures. Caleb Catto added nine points off the bench in the loss.
USC shot 7-of-17 from the 3-point line on the night, with Mobley going 3-of-4 and Ellis finishing 3-of-6. Goodwin’s 10-of-15 shooting provided an interior complement to the Trojans’ outside touch.
Florida Gulf Coast finished 8-of-30 from 3-point range, and just 22-of-60 from the floor in total.
The win capped a welcome return to Florida Gulf Coast for USC coach Andy Enfield, who led the Eagles to the Sweet 16 of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The history-making team was recognized as part of the coach’s homecoming on Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
