USC basketball: Trojans lead St. Mary’s 33-23 at halftime

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Showcasing its defensive prowess once again, USC is leading St. Mary’s (Calif.) 33-23 at halftime in the second round of the inaugural Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. If the Trojans win, they face the winner of UNLV/Hawaii at 6:30 p.m. PST Friday.

Coming into the game, St. Mary’s was one of the top 10 scoring teams in the country, averaging 84.4 points per outing. USC, meanwhile, was one of the top 20 defensive teams, holding opponents to 57.1 points per game.

From the looks of it, the advantage goes to the Trojans. St. Mary’s is shooting 26% from the floor (six of 23, including three of 11 from three-point range), which is far off the Gaels’ usual average (51%). The Trojans are 15 of 29 from the floor and only have two three-point attempts.

USC is once again being led by Mike Gerrity. The point guard, who was key in USC’s last two wins, has a game-high 12 points at halftime and is six of six from the field.

With the game tied 8-8, USC went on a 12-2 run to go up 20-10. Sophomore forward Nikola Vucevic scored six straight points during the run.

Aside from a 10-point lead against St. Mary’s (10-1), USC seems to gotten some more good news: Forward Leonard Washington is back. The sophomore checked into the game early, meaning he as been cleared to play after sitting out because of academic issues.

Washington had four points, two rebounds and two blocks in the first half; USC Coach Kevin O’Neill has often called Washington a ‘playmaker.’

-- Baxter Holmes