Harvard @ Southern California preview

USC had trouble on offense in the first game and defense in the second, but the Trojans can leave the Sunshine State with two wins if they can knock off Harvard on Sunday in the third-place game of the Orlando Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. USC shot 41.7 percent from the field in a 54-47 victory over Fairfield in the first round before allowing Marquette’s Markus Howard to score 51 points in a 101-79 setback Friday.

“We didn’t play well,” Trojans coach Andy Enfield told reporters after his team gave up 14 3-pointers Friday. “We really had trouble stopping Howard and what he did to our defense. But it’s one game, it’s one loss, so we have to bounce back mentally and physically.” USC has lost two of three after winning the first five games of the season against mid-majors and will look to 6-9 freshman forward Onyeka Okongwu, who averages team highs of 16.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks. The Trojans could not stop Howard and will face another test against Harvard’s senior guard Bryce Aiken, who scored 30 points in an 80-73 loss to Maryland in the semifinals Friday after recording 15 to help beat Texas A&M in the first round. “(Aiken) can score with the best of them,” Crimson coach Tommy Amaker told reporters Friday. “He had a pretty efficient game, but he can be better than that, certainly in other areas of quarterbacking our team and leading our team.”

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT HARVARD (5-3): Aiken averages 23.8 points, after finishing at 22.2 last season, and has made 11-of-27 from 3-point range but managed just six assists in the four games he has played in 2019-20. Senior forward Chris Lewis had 11 points while sophomore guard Noah Kirkwood added 12 against Maryland in a game the Crimson led by four at halftime, and both average 10 points per contest. Senior guard Justin Bassey averages only 7.5 points, but scored 16 on 5-of-7 shooting to lead the way in the victory over Texas A&M on Thursday.

ABOUT USC (6-2): Okongwu needs some help up front and 6-11 Nick Rakocevic (12.5 points, 81. rebounds) has struggled the last three games, scoring just 18 combined, and the senior was ejected Friday after his second technical. Senior guard Jonah Mathews, the third player averaging in double figures scoring (10.8), must also rebound after connecting on just 1-of-9 from the field against Marquette. Sophomore guard Elijah Weaver (8.4 points) has scored 25 combined in the tournament and freshman guard Kyle Sturdivant added a season-high 11 points Friday.

TIP-INS

1. USC sophomore G Charles O’Bannon Jr. is expected to miss at least four weeks after surgery on his left hand.

2. Harvard junior G Rio Haskett is 13-of-25 from behind the 3-point arc this season - 3-of-8 in the tournament.

3. Trojans freshman G Ethan Anderson leads the team with five assists per game, but has just four combined in the tournament.

PREDICTION: USC 76, Harvard 68