Compiled by USCTrojans.com blog contributor Ben Weiss
USC defeated Point Loma 69-49 in its only exhibition match of the season. Three takeaways from the Trojans' first action this season in front of an audience...
- The frontcourt tandem of Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic dominated the much smaller Point Loma squad. Stepheson finished with 19 points to led all scorers, and tallied six rebounds. Vucevic was the primary windex man with 16 boards, and displayed a repertoire of post moves mixed in with a few jumpers on his way to 16 points. Stepheson's inside game also looked more refined, and the two combined to finish 15 for 25 from the floor (an efficient sixty percent). Staying out of foul trouble was a non-issue for both forwards, considering they had four and five inch height advantages over their defenders.
- It won't take long to get familiar with the Joneses this year. Newcomers Bryce and Maurice (no relation) both played big roles and at times looked more like four-year starters than first-game freshmen. Maurice started at point and finished with a game-high six assists, although he could have easily notched a few more as he set up his teammates with open looks all game long. On many of the Trojans fast breaks, Maurice led the charge and dished out some jaw-dropping dimes that led to easy layups. Bryce, who came off the bench about three minutes into the game, wasted no time in knocking down his first four three point attempts and finished with 17 points in 19 minutes.
- Coming into the game, the depth at forward was a primary concern, and although Vucevic and Stepheson stayed out of foul trouble, stamina could prove to be an issue down the line. Vucevic played all but four minutes in the exhibition, and if the high minutes are going to be a trend for the junior, his conditioning will be tested as the season wears on. Stepheson played a much more modest 28 minutes, but was the cover boy for the Trojans' free-throw shooting woes. The senior captain missed his first six attempts from the charity stripe and finished three of ten. The team as a whole converted only seven of its 19 attempts.
USC will play its first official game a week from today against UC Irvine at 1 p.m. in the Galen Center. Here's Head Coach Kevin O'Neill's take on today's exhibition...
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