USC basketball bounces back to beat San Jose State

LOS ANGELES — The USC basketball team shot its way back into the win column.

Terrence Williams II and Chibuzo Agbo scored 20 points apiece, Wesley Yates III added 14 and the Trojans shot 57% from the field to beat San Jose State, 82-68, on Wednesday night at the Galen Center.

Matt Knowling finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists for USC (4-1), which bounced back from its first loss, a 71-66 setback against Cal on Sunday night.

Josh Uduje shot 5 for 5 from 3-point range and scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting overall for San Jose State (1-4). Will McClendon added 18 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Spartans.

Williams converted a three-point play that gave USC the lead for good amid a 13-2 run that made it 23-18 when Williams hit a jumper to cap the spurt with 7:50 left in the first half. Latrell Davis hit a 3-pointer that trimmed SJSU’s deficit to 33-31 with 2:55 left until halftime, but the Trojans scored nine of the next 11 points – including four by Williams – before Robert Vaihola made a layup for the Spartans to make it 42-35 at intermission.

USC went on a 10-0 run early in the second half to make it 52-37 when Knowling made a jumper in the paint with 15:59 to play, and the Trojans led by double figures the rest of the way.

USC shot 62% (16 for 26) in the second half and finished 32 for 56, including a 10-for-22 showing (45%) from 3-point range.

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USC hosts Grambling State on Sunday at 4 p.m.