Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Saint Mary’s and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead USC 32-21.
Saint Mary’s entered the matchup having won six straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it seven, or will USC step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
USC Trojans @ Saint Mary’s Gaels
Current Records: USC 5-1, Saint Mary’s 6-0
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, November 28, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Acrisure Arena — Palm Springs, California
- TV: tru TV
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
What to Know
USC has played every game this season on their home court, but they’ll have to hit the road on Thursday. They will face off against the Saint Mary’s Gaels at 9:00 p.m. ET at Acrisure Arena. The Trojans are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 79.7 points per game this season.
Last Sunday, USC earned an 80-69 victory over Grambling State.
USC’s success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Chibuzo Agbo led the charge by scoring 21 points along with two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Josh Cohen, who went 7 for 8 en route to 18 points plus six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s waltzed into their match on Saturday with five straight wins… but they left with six. They walked away with an 80-66 win over the Mustangs.
Saint Mary’s relied on the efforts of Mitchell Saxen, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Luke Barrett, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten rebounds. The dominant performance also gave Saxen a new career-high in offensive rebounds (11). Another player making a difference was Augustas Marciulionis, who had 18 points in addition to five assists and three steals.
Saint Mary’s smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they’ve now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in ten consecutive contests dating back to last season.
USC’s victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Saint Mary’s, their win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-0.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. USC hasn’t had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 79.7 points per game. However, it’s not like Saint Mary’s struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 80.7. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
USC is hoping to beat the odds on Thursday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. This will be their first time playing as the underdogs this season.
Odds
Saint Mary’s is a 4.5-point favorite against USC, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Gaels as a 5.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 141.5 points.
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