Field Level Media
Feb 20, 2020
McKinley Wright IV recorded 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds and No. 18 Colorado moved into first place in the Pac-12 by posting a 70-66 victory over Southern California on Thursday night in Boulder, Colo.
Tyler Bey registered 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Shane Gatling scored 13 points for the Buffaloes (21-6, 10-4 Pac-12). D'Shawn Schwartz and Lucas Siewert added 11 points apiece for Colorado.
The Buffaloes moved into sole possession of first place thanks to No. 14 Oregon's loss at Arizona State.
Onyeka Okongwu scored 21 points and notched four steals for the Trojans (19-8, 8-6). Okongwu missed the previous two games with a concussion.
Jonah Mathews had 17 points and three steals, Nick Rakocevic contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Daniel Utomi scored 10 points for USC.
The Buffaloes shot 47.4 percent from the field, including 11 of 26 from 3-point range.
USC shot 45.9 percent from the floor but was just 2 of 11 from behind the arc.
Mathews buried a 3-pointer with 2:08 left and Okongwu scored on a putback dunk as USC crept within 67-66 with 1:36 remaining. Wright's floater gave Colorado a three-point edge with 1:20 left.
The Trojans were looking to knot the score but Utomi was called for traveling with 7.2 seconds left. Wright split two free throws with 6.5 seconds to go to seal the win.
Colorado trailed by five early in the second half before going on a 12-2 surge to take a 41-36 advantage on Gatling's 3-pointer with 15:17 left.
It was a three-point margin after Mathews hit a jumper for the Trojans with 12:26 remaining before the Buffaloes rattled off the next nine points. Siewert capped the burst with back-to-back 3-pointers to give Colorado a 56-44 lead with 10 minutes left.
Wright's basket again pushed the lead to 12 with 8:08 left before USC went on a 13-4 burst. Daniel Utomi concluded that run with a 3-pointer to pull the Trojans within 64-61 with 4:26 remaining.
Siewert knocked down another 3-pointer 24 seconds later to put the Buffaloes ahead by six.
Rakocevic (12 points), Okongwu (nine) and Mathews (eight) combined for all of the Trojans' points as they led 29-26 lead at halftime.
--Field Level Media