The USC Trojans (15-6) didn’t get the 2023 calendar year off to a great start, losing 81-71 to Thursday’s opponent the Washington State Cougars (10-13) 81-71 in a game with a PK line. The Trojans went 4-2 the rest of the month but now try to get February off on the right foot against a WSU team that has lost three of the last four. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Trojans come into Thursday’s game in a letdown spot after their 77-64 win over #8 \/ rival UCLA. Boogie Ellis<\/strong> had 31 points in that outing<\/a> as USC won their second straight game as an underdog, +5 at home against the Bruins and a 77-69 victory at Arizona State last Saturday at +3.5. <\/p>\n\n\n\n USC is now 7-3 in the Pac-12, a game back from the Bruins and tied with #5 Arizona. The Cougars played #5 Arizona close in a 63-58 loss on January 26th, and then blew the doors off Arizona State 75-58 on Saturday behind a season high 22 points from Andrej Jakimovski<\/strong> and a season high 20 from Justin Powell<\/strong>. If WSU can get that kind of production from just their #3 and #6 leading scorer again the upset is in play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n