Without fully shaking off its recent shooting woes, Arizona still had enough to beat USC 82-67 on Wednesday in the Trojans’ final appearance at McKale Center for the foreseeable future.
Caleb Love had 20 points and five assists to lead the Wildcats, who had four other players in double figure scoring but shot only 40.0% from the field after hitting a season-low 34.7% in their 73-70 loss at Washington State on Saturday. Arizona made only 10 of 26 layups Wednesday after making 11 of 28 at WSU.
While DJ Rodman had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead USC, freshman guard Bronny James had 11 points and five assists while playing a bigger role in the absence of USC’s two scorers, guards Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier. Ellis has missed two straight games with a hamstring injury and remains day-to-day while Collier broke his hand last week and is expected to miss about a month.
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Keshad Johnson had a double-double for Arizona with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while center Oumar Ballo had eight points and 13 rebounds.
Up 45-35 at halftime, Arizona rattled off seven straight points to take a 64-46 lead with 11:36 to go, getting a dunk and layup inside from center Motiejus Krivas and a three-point play by Kylan Boswell.
USC went on its own 7-0 run to pull within 71-59 with 4:29 to go and cut it to 77-67 with 2:10 left when Oziyah Sellers hit a 3-pointer but Arizona hung on from there.
In the first half, Johnson had 10 points and six rebounds in the first half to lead Arizona to its 45-35 halftime lead.
The Wildcats, who raced to a 14-4 lead at the first media timeout, shot 41.2% overall from the field but hit 6 of 13 3-pointers, with Love making 3 of 6.
Arizona took early leads of up to 11 points but, after USC pulled within four points on four separate occasions, went on a 7-1 to finish the half, getting a 3-pointer from KJ Lewis, a jumper from Johnson and a layup from Boswell.
UA coach Tommy Lloyd went with his same starting lineup after threatening to change it following the Wildcats’ loss at WSU, but he started Jaden Bradley at point guard over Kylan Boswell in the second half. He went with nine players overall, including sophomore wing Filip Borovicanin.
Bradley finished with 10 points, three rebounds and five steals in 22 minutes, while Boswell had 11 points, three rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes. Bradley shot 3 for 9 from the field while Boswell was 4 of 12.
Arizona will next play UCLA at McKale on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bruins edged ASU 68-66 on Wednesday in Tempe.
Photos: Arizona claws past USC 82-67, Pac 12 men's basketball
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) gets tangled up with USC guard Bronny James (6) in the fight for a loose ball in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) pulls down an offensive rebound in front of USC guard Kobe Johnson (0) during their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Former UA player and current Phoenix assistant coach Miles Simon, left, chats with Suns forward Kevin Durant during halftime of the Wildcats’ game against USC at McKale Center on Wednesday.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16), bottom, and Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) fight a trio of USC defenders for an offensive rebound in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) tangles with USC forward Arrinten Page (22) for the ball in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
USC forward Arrinten Page (22), left, and USC guard Kobe Johnson (0) try to put the damper on Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) and his lay up during their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) hooks a shot over USC forward DJ Rodman (10) during their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) reacts to his teammates after dropping a three-pointer in front of the Wildcat bench against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) opts to shovel off the pass between /u2/, left, and forward Kijani Wright (33) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona football players Jonah Coleman, left, and Jacob Manu have a laugh after being put up on the big screen during a time out in the second half of the Wildcats basketball game against USC at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd coaches up his offense during the second half against USC at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) gets hacked trying to get to the bucket against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) collides with USC forward Arrinten Page (22) while fighting his way through the lane in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) gets manhandled trying to bring down a rebound against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
USC forward Arrinten Page (22) fouls Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) on his shot in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) reacts from the floor after being fouled while scoring a bucket against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3), bottom, fends off his own teammate Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) as they race to save the ball from bouncing out of bounds in the second half against USC at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) celebrates after hitting a long range shot from the corner against USC in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) exults from the floor after winning an and-one on his circus shot against USC in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) gets shut down by USC forward DJ Rodman (10) left, and guard Oziyah Sellers (4) trying to drive in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) dives in for the ball against USC forward Kijani Wright (33), left, and guard Kobe Johnson (0) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) tries to skip into the lane past USC forward Harrison Hornery (30) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) absorbs a hit from USC guard Kobe Johnson (0) on his way to the basket in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
USC guard Bronny James lingers on the court after the Trojans fell to Arizona 82-67 at McKale Center on Wednesday.
The Zona Zoo student section hold up cutouts of dimes with a picture of head coach Tommy Lloyd after a Wildcat long range basket against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
USC forward Joshua Morgan (24), left, and forward Kijani Wright (33) tie up Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) as he tries to claim a rebound in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
New Arizona football coach Brent Brennan gives some fist bumps after being introduced to the crowd at McKale Center during a stoppage of play in the Wildcats’ win over USC on Wednesday night.
New UA football coach Brent Brennan will have more resources at Arizona than San Jose State, but the pressure to win will also be greater.
Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) tries to split USC forward Kijani Wright (33), left, and forward Vincent Iwuchukwu (3) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
USC coach Andy Enfield has some words with one of the game officials after his Trojans didn’t get a call in the first half against Arizona.
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) engulfs USC forward Harrison Hornery (30) trying to wrest away a rebound in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona football players Jonah Coleman, left, and Jacob Manu take a selfie as Tetairoa McMillan watches the acton on the court during the Arizona men's basketball game against USC Jan. 17 at McKale Center.
ESPN announcer Jay Bilas chats in the run-up to Arizona’s game against USC at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) bats the ball out to mid-court over teammate guard Caleb Love (2) and wins the Wildcats an offensive rebound against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 17, 2024.
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Contact sports reporter Bruce Pascoe at bpascoe@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @brucepascoe
Bruce Pascoe
Reporter
