GREENSBORO, N.C. \u2014 In its first preseason action of the 2026-27 season, the USC Men’s Basketball team fell 88-70 to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. on Oct. 9.<\/p>\n
Playing in a hostile, pro-UNC arena, the game featured seven ties and 14 lead changes until midway through the second half when the Tar Heels used a 12-0 run midway through the second half to pull ahead.<\/p>\n
Making his return to action after missing most of last season, senior guard Rodney Rice<\/a> stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points \u2014 on 7-for-15 shooting \u2014 three rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Playing with him for the first time, Alijah Arenas<\/a> finished with 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting as well. And while making his first collegiate start, Darius Ratliff<\/a> was a force on both ends of the floor \u2014 especially in the first half \u2014 with 13 points, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals.<\/p>\n USC took an early 10-3 lead thanks to a 12-0 run with a barrage of threes \u2014 two from Rodney Rice<\/a> and another from Darius Ratliff<\/a>. Darius Ratliff<\/a> impacted the game on both ends early: He had a block on one end, made a three on the other, then drew a shooting foul on the next possession. In the first half alone, Darius Ratliff<\/a> had 11 points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks.<\/p>\n The Trojans held the Tar Heels scoreless for nearly five minutes but North Carolina clawed back into the game and eventually took a 23-22 lead with 8:33 to play. Alijah Arenas<\/a> scored six straight points for the Trojans to help the team keep pace.<\/p>\n Late in the first half, the Trojans took a two-possession lead with a Jadis Jones<\/a> layup and Adonis Ratliff’s<\/a> first three of the night to make it a 35-31 lead. However, North Carolina’s Neo Avdalas scored five of UNC’s final six points to tie the game at 37 before a Rice jumper gave USC a two-point lead after the first half.<\/p>\n North Carolina reclaimed a short-lived lead before threes from Rice and Adonis Ratliff<\/a> put USC\u00a0up 45-43 with 17:22 to play. The lead changed hands seven times before the first media timeout and neither team led by more than two points in that span.<\/p>\n After the first media timeout, USC’s defense was the difference-maker. The Trojans forced turnovers on three consecutive possessions en route to taking a 53-49 lead. Yet the offense stalled for six minutes and the Tar Heels went on a 12-0 run to take a 61-53 lead with 9:16 remaining. While Arenas and Rice tried to keep the Trojans in the game, UNC held a double-figure lead for the final 3:41 to hand USC an 88-70 exhibition loss.<\/p>\n North Carolina shot better from the field (44% to 36%), won the rebounding battle 47-33, yet committed 18 turnovers to USC’s 14. The Trojans would score 24 points off of UNC’s 18 turnovers.<\/p>\n USC will play its next road exhibition game down south at UC San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 17. Tip-off on ESPN+ is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.<\/p>\n NOTES
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\n\tThe Trojans’ first starting lineup of exhibition play featured Rodney Rice<\/a>, Alijah Arenas<\/a>, Jacob Cofie<\/a>, Adonis Ratliff<\/a> and Darius Ratliff<\/a>.
\n\tRodney Rice<\/a> led the way with 22 points. He has scored in double figures in every game in a Trojan uniform.
\n\tThree Trojans finished in double figures: Arenas, Rice and Darius Ratliff<\/a>.
\n\tJacob Cofie<\/a> led the team with seven rebounds to go along with his five points.
\n\tAll 11 available Trojans checked into the game, eight of whom made their first appearance in a USC uniform. Seven different players scored.
\n\tThe head coaching matchup between Eric Musselman<\/a> and Michael Malone was a meeting between two former NBA head coaches who were also sons of NBA head coaches.
\n\tUSC is now 4-1 in exhibition games under Eric Musselman<\/a>.
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