By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Forward Saint Thomas hit seven of eight from the field and scored 21 points Tuesday night as the Southern California Trojans pulled away late for an easy 84-63 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.
In the exhibition opener for both teams, played at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, the Trojans outscored the Roadrunners 49-31 in the second half to spoil the debut of UTSA coach Austin Claunch.
The Roadrunners played well for a good portion of the first half, going on a run at the end to pull within 35-32 at intermission.
After the break, the Trojans hit 17 of 27 from the field for 63 percent to win in the debut of first-year USC coach Eric Musselman.
Thomas, a transfer from Northern Colorado, shook off a blow to the head in the first half to spark the Trojans. In the opening minutes of the second half, he hit a jumper, a dunk and a three in the first four minutes. His triple from the corner pushed the USC lead to 46-34 with 16:02 remaining.
In response, UTSA guard Primo Spears started to heat up, sparking a 13-3 run with seven points. A stop-and-pop from 13 feet pulled the Roadrunners to within 53-49 with 12:13 remaining.
From there, USC started its roll, going off on an 11-0 run over a four-minute span, fueled by guard Desmond Claude and Thomas. It was Thomas who hit two free throws for a 64-49 lead, and USC kept up the pressure the rest of the way, never allowing UTSA to pull within 10 in the last eight minutes.
For the Roadrunners, Spears led the team in scoring with 14 points. The Florida State transfer finished five of 16 from the field. Guard Marcus “Smurf” Millender added 12 points and center Mo Njie 10.
Halftime
Despite missing eight of their first 11 shot attempts, the UTSA Roadrunners kept playing hard. In the end, Damari Monsanto nailed two three-pointers in the final minute of the half, bringing the Roadrunners to within three. USC escaped with a 35-32 lead at intermission.
Forward Saint Thomas led eight USC players in the scoring column with six points. The Trojans were 11 of 24 from the field and two of nine from three. At the free throw line, they hit 11 of 12.
Guard Marcus Millender led the Roadrunners with eight points and three assists. UTSA finished the half 13 of 31 from the floor and three of 12 from three. Monsanto, for his part, made two of four from long distance. The Roadrunners hit three of six at the line.