It was just a preseason exhibition that doesn’t count in standings or statistics, but still …
A week after leading late in the first half and putting up an admirable fight on the road at No. 5 Arizona, San Diego State in some respects took a step back against No. 21 USC on Friday night at half-full Viejas Arena.
Or put it this way: When was the last time the Aztecs trailed 51-31 at home at halftime?
Yes, it was that ugly.
Whatever hope was kindled from a respectable result at Arizona was quickly extinguished by a Trojans team that beat UC San Diego by only six last week and lost its other exhibition game at North Carolina – and is still without injured 7-foot-1 UConn transfer Eric Reibe.
The second half provided more promise, but ultimately the Trojans’ size and athleticism (their starting lineup went 6-foot-5, 6-7, 6-10, 6-11, 7-0) was too much for the smaller Aztecs in a turnover-riddled 85-68 decision that comes a mere 12 days, gulp, before the games start counting.
“We’ve got a lot of growing to do,” coach Brian Dutcher said. “But the talent is there, in my opinion.”
San Diego State forward Luka Skoric (7) defends during the first half of Friday’s exhibition game against USC at Viejas Arena. (Luke Johnson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Eight of SDSU’s 10-man rotation were playing in Viejas Arena for the first time, and it showed. The turnovers, the missed shots, the blown defensive assignments, the deer in headlights look as USC blitzed them for a 15-0 run late in the first half.
A week ago, the game plan was to go under ball screens and dare Arizona – not known for its perimeter prowess – to jack up 3s. The Wildcats obliged and went 3 of 17 in the first half as the Aztecs built a six-point lead after 15 minutes.
They went under the first ball screen Friday night against veteran Trojans guard Rodney Rice. He calmly set his feet. Swish.
Next possession: another 3.
The Trojans made 6 of their first 9 from deep and shot 60% overall in the first half (18 of 30). SDSU’s biggest issue last week was on the glass; it wasn’t as much a problem Friday because, well, there weren’t that many rebounds.
Elzie Harrington, who decommitted from USC during his senior year of high school before switching to SDSU, provided a glimmer of hope with a drive down the lane and thunderous dunk to cut the deficit to 30-23 with 7:43 left in the first half.
He landed and flexed. Viejas roared.
The Aztecs wouldn’t score again for more than five minutes, a drought that included seven turnovers, three missed free throws and an airball on a wide-open corner 3 by their best shooter, Oregon State transfer Isaiah Sy.
“First half, they played harder and they wanted it more,” guard Latrell Davis said. “We knew in the second half we had to change that or we were going to lose by 40.”
The Aztecs showed signs of life in the second half, rattling the Trojans with a full-court press to force turnovers and cut the margin to 60-48 on a 3 by Harrington and a layup by Latrell Davis.
A few moments later, a 3 by freshman Zach White got it into single digits, only for the Trojans to respond with a 7-0 run after two more Aztecs turnovers.
Harrington looked rusty a week ago, missing most of the summer after offseason leg surgery, but he showed why he is on NBA radars with a more aggressive, more comfortable performance Friday with 19 points and three 3s.
Sy had the opposite experience, going from 17 points against Arizona to five on 1 of 5 shooting with added defensive attention.
Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry had 16 points. Davis was the only other Aztec in double figures, responding from his 0 of 8 game last week with 11 points on 4 of 7 shooting.
The Aztecs had 20 turnovers (12 in the first half) and were outshot 50% to 44%.
The good news is, the schedule lightens from here. The Aztecs won’t face another ranked team until No. 18 Iowa State during Thanksgiving week at the Players Era in Las Vegas.
“I’m a competitor, I like good games,” Harrington said at practice Thursday. “I like playing teams that are supposed to be good. I think it’s a blessing we get to play two preseason top 25 teams, just to see where we’re at, see what we’re good at, see what we need to get better at.”