USC shrugs off injury to top scorer, eases past Maryland
Jordan Marsh scored 20 points to lead injury-depleted Southern California past Maryland 88-71 on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The Trojans (14-3, 3-3 Big Ten) were already playing without Rodney Rice, lost for the season to a shoulder injury sustained in late November, but season-long leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara was also limited in the Tuesday tilt.
Baker-Mazara, a wing who averages 19.9 points per game, posted seven points in just eight minutes, the result of a neck ailment. With its star spending much of the night on the bench, USC faced a stiff challenge throughout the first half from a Maryland team seeking its first Big Ten win.
The Terrapins (7-10, 0-6) rode the hot hand of David Coit, who erupted for 30 points, to exchange the lead with the Trojans for the game's first 25 minutes. But after falling behind 52-48 early in the second half, USC went on a 10-0 run bookended with Jerry Easter II baskets.
The surge gave the Trojans a lead they never relinquished.
Easter scored 10 points, as he joined Marsh among a quintet of USC scorers in double figures. Ezra Ausar finished with 12 points, Jacob Cofie added 12 points and Gabe Dynes scored 10 points.
The 7-foot-5 Dynes, who shot 5-for-6 from the floor, also grabbed eight rebounds to match Maryland's Solomon Washington for game-high honors. USC bested the Terrapins on the glass 35-24 after Maryland outrebounded UCLA 48-29 on Saturday.
The Trojans effectively limited the Terrapins' offensive rebounding opportunities, allowing Maryland only four offensive boards. A lack of second-chance opportunities hurt a Maryland offense that struggled to score from the floor, going just 21-for-48 (43.8%) on field-goal attempt to USC's 34-for-66 (51.5%).
Washington and Darius Adams each scored 11 points for the Terrapins.
USC scored more field goals off of assists -- 23 -- than Maryland made total field goals.
Marsh, Ausar, Cofie and Kam Woods each dished four assists for the Trojans.