USC basketball hit hard by injuries, offensive funk in loss to Washington State

LOS ANGELES — Elsewhere in Los Angeles on this Wednesday night, tucked right over the Santa Monica Mountains at Crespi High in Encino, a vital part of this USC basketball program’s future ducked and darted and hooped in a humble high school gym.

For years, Harvard-Westlake’s Trent Perry has molded himself into one of the best guards in Southern California, gradually rounding out an all-around game as the leader of one of the best high school programs in the nation. And the USC commit continued to showcase it against Crespi on Wednesday, dropping 21 points, snaring his own rebound on one tough drive and finishing with a roar in a video taken by the Los Angeles Times’ Eric Sondheimer.

It was more energy, frankly, than anyone in a USC jersey showcased across town in the first half of a dreary 72-64 loss to Washington State on Wednesday. And goodness, amid drooping body language and exasperated barks from head coach Andy Enfield, it sure seemed like Perry could have played his way onto the court right now for USC, two games of offensive synergy erased in a brutal funk against Washington State.

Center Joshua Morgan, far and away USC’s best interior defender, was ruled out with an upper respiratory infection before the game; point guard Isaiah Collier, one of USC’s two consistent sources of shot creation, exited early in the second half with a right hand contusion. It robbed the Trojans of paint presence and offensive juice against the Cougars, and it showed in a brutal loss to drop their record to 8-8 overall and 2-3 in Pac-12 play.

Lakers star LeBron James sat courtside for the third time since son Bronny James made his USC debut, pensive in an Uninterrupted ballcap, and it would have been a true marvel to hear his stream-of-consciousness thoughts in watching what transpired in this first half. With just a few minutes to play in the frame in a grueling display of basketball, USC had shot 6 for 26 from the field – the field – completely unable to capitalize off of turnovers or open half-court looks. Shots caromed hopelessly off the iron. Dribbles slipped off palms and fingertips. And USC’s offensive system attacking Washington State’s 2-3 zone seemed unfocused, scurrying around the perimeter for dribble handoffs like ants with no hive and no purpose.

USC made it to halftime trailing just 29-28, the Cougars (11-5, 2-3) not able to control the ball themselves, but players’ shoulders drooped and Enfield looked visibly tense on the way to the locker room. And in the second half, the Trojans’ lack of consistently playable big man depth betrayed them.

Morgan’s absence forced Vincent Iwuchukwu into a starting role, a sophomore big who has given USC a lift at various stretches throughout his two seasons with sheer energy. But he struggled to finish on Wednesday, shooting 0 for 4 from the floor, and was repeatedly targeted by Washington State on defense – the Cougars’ Ruebe Chinyelu scoring on him on two possessions early in the second half and holding his hand down to his ankle in the too small gesture.

The Cougars’ Isaac Jones continued to feast in the paint on a weakened USC back line, finishing with 26 points and 11 rebounds, hope looking dire for the Trojans as Collier was removed with his injury. Boogie Ellis wearily strapped up a mask and cape yet again, carrying USC’s offense when much else failed. He drained a stop-and-pop 3-pointer off a screen, grimacing in pain. He drove to the basket and finished through contact to put the Trojans back ahead by a hair with nine minutes left, hobbling back to the line. And DJ Rodman, visibly energetic against his former program after transferring from Washington State to USC in May, provided some huge second-half contributions with eight points and two timely 3-pointers.

Harrison Hornery’s 3-pointer gave USC its last lead at 64-63 with 2:16 left, but it was also the Trojans’ last basket as they failed to score the rest of the way.

USC had no answer for Jones with Morgan out, Jones finishing an and-one layup over Kobe Johnson late and then driving right through Kijani Wright for back-to-back baskets to give Washington State a four-point lead with just over a minute left – and ultimately put the game away.

The Cougars, who had not won at USC since March 1, 2015, made just four field goals over the final eight minutes, but they went 14 of 15 from the free-throw line.

Ellis finished with 18 points and Collier had 12. Bronny James was the only Trojan not to score, going 0 for 3 in 15 minutes. He sat down with 7½ minutes left and didn’t return until the final 29 seconds.

More to come on this story.