The Eric Musselman era at USC basketball has not yet arrived at its first regular-season game, but the Trojans did take the court against another college basketball team on Saturday night. USC faced No. 6 Gonzaga in a charity exhibition game in Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif. The Trojans got a good first look at their roster, and Musselman was able to get a sense of what does and doesn’t work for his team.
The results were certainly encouraging. USC defeated Gonzaga, 96-93, in a game which will get plenty of attention from college basketball analysts throughout the country. Terrance Williams, a transfer from Michigan, scored 20 points to lead USC. Desmond Claude, the transfer from Xavier, scored 19 points for USC, which built a solid lead and then withstood a late 8-0 run from the Zags to win. Five USC players scored in double figures, giving the Trojans balance and versatility. There was a lot to like in this game. Now the team needs to build on it as it heads into the regular season.
USC opens the regular season against UT-Chattanooga at the Galen Center on Monday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. local time in Los Angeles.
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