A promising Pac-12 clash is guaranteed to set your Thursday night ablaze, as the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans collide at the Galen Center. Both squads met earlier this month at the Pauley Pavilion, wherein the Trojans emerged victorious. Can they come out again on top or will the Bruins be the ones left smiling this time around?
Let’s now take an in-depth look at this bout below. And if you’re yearning for some NHL action as well, you can check out our detailed preview of the Philadelphia Flyers vs. Nashville Predators.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ] After falling short in three of their previous four games, the UCLA Bruins finally got it together and came away with the victory at the expense of Washington State on Saturday night, 83-50. Four starters finished in double figures, but it was the pair of Isaac Hamilton and Bryce Alford who shined brightest with 34 points, eight rebounds and 10 dimes combined.
Now, the Bruins will hope to stay on the winning column when they go head-to-head with a very familiar foe in the form of the USC Trojans, who beat them earlier this month. UCLA is 3-7 SU and 5-5 ATS in its past 10 games away from home.
Expect the Bruins to continue their offensive onslaught in this one. They are averaging 80.6 points collectively over their last seven games and much of the credit for this success goes to none other the team’s top two scorers, Alford and Hamilton.
Alford, who is putting up 17.0 points with 5.2 assists this season, has scored 10 or more points in his past four outings. That stretch includes their match with Washington last week, during which he had 28 points on 9-for-15 shooting and also had six dimes.
Hamilton, meanwhile, has been playing spectacular basketball as well. He’s tallying 18.5 points in the same span and continues to be the second-best option for the Bruins on offense with 16.6 points per game this the season. Hamilton also flirted with a triple-double in their last meeting with the Trojans, finishing with 10 points, 10 boards and eight assists.
On the other side, the USC Trojans will be aiming for their third-consecutive win this evening. They both won their last two games—against Washington State and Washington—with a 10-point advantage and have seemingly relocated their offensive groove. The Trojans enter this game versus the UCLA Bruins having scored 81 or more points in their past six games.
This offensive success was inevitable especially when the Trojans’ starters are all scoring in double figures this season. Leading the way is their sophomore guard in Jordan McLaughlin with 12.8 per game and then is followed by Katin Reindhart (12.5), Nikola Jovanovic (12.4), Bennie Boatwright (12.2) and lastly the all-around guard Julian Jacobs, who is putting up 12.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists.
Making the Trojans even more dangerous is their lethal bench that is highlighted by the pair of Elijah Stewart and Chimezie Metu. Both are posting 10.8 points and 7.0 points, respectively, this year.
It’s safe to say that USC should be able to pile up the points once again as the Bruins defense—which is allowing 76.8 points this season—has yet to find some consistency. And speaking of which, the Trojans, who are 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games, ought to tighten up their own defense because UCLA is a team that also boasts a handful of offensive weapons.
