USC improves to 5-0 with 72-69 win over No. 20 Wichita State

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Freshman Bennie Boatwright has helped the USC men’s basketball team to its best start in 15 years.

Boatwright had a career-high 22 points and the Trojans beat No. 20 Wichita State, 72-69, in a first-round game Thursday at the AdvoCare Invitational.

“We feel like that we have a very young, talented team, but need some more experience,” USC Coach Andy Enfield said. “We’re certainly not a great team yet, we have a lot of things to work on, but this is a big win for us. It means a lot.”

Wichita State (2-2) played without senior guard Fred VanVleet, who missed his second consecutive game with ankle and hamstring injuries. He twisted his ankle in the season opener Nov. 13 against Charleston Southern and then was limited by hamstring soreness four days later in a game with Tulsa.

USC (5-0) also got 15 points from Jordan McLaughlin. It’s the Trojans best start since winning their first eight games in the 2000-01 season.

Ron Baker had 25 points and Markis McDuffie added 14 for Wichita State.

“We’re banged up,” Baker said. “We’ve got to capitalize on our runs. Everybody played as hard as they could. A couple things didn’t go our way. We turned it over in some tough positions. Gave up offense rebounds at the wrong time. Just didn’t hit our open looks when it came down to it.”

After the Trojans had their lead cut to one, Boatwright’s three-point shot from the corner gave USC a 64-60 advantage with 4 1/2 minutes left.

Boatwright hit another three-pointer, and then had a steal before Katin Reinhardt made a three to extend the USC advantage to 70-62. Boatwright made seven of 13 shots, five of nine from three-point range.

“Bennie had it rolling today,” Enfield said.

Baker hit a three with three seconds left during a late surge that pulled the Shockers with 71-69. After Julian Jacobs hit of one of two free throws, Wichita State’s Zach Brown had a potential game-tying shot from near mid-court hit off the rim.

McDuffie and Baker combined for all the points during a 12-0 run that put Wichita State up 49-43 seven minutes into the second half. Both hit a long-range jumper during the stretch.

“We’re going to have to do the little things,” Wichita State Coach Gregg Marshall said. “We’ve got make sure when a guy is shooting as good as Bennie Boatwright, you’ve got to stand on his toes and make him do something different.”

USC responded and went up 61-54 with seven minutes left on three-pointers by Boatwright and Elijah Stewart.

McLaughlin had 11 points as USC took a 30-29 lead at halftime. After missing the final eight games last season because of shoulder injuries that required surgery, the sophomore guard has scored in double-figures in all five games this season.

The victory was the Trojans’ first over a top-25 team since Feb. 27, 2013, an 89-78 victory over then No. 11 Arizona

“We’re all in as a team,” Boatwright said.

USC Up Next

vs. Xavier

When: Friday, 11:30 a.m. PST.

Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Fla.

bTV: ESPNU.

b After earning their first win over a ranked opponent since 2013, the Trojans (5-0) will take on Xavier (5-0), another hot team with wins over Missouri, Michigan and Alabama.