Tag Archives: Southern California Trojans

Hot-shooting USC rolls in the second half to rout UTSA, 84-63

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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.

UTSA set to play USC in men’s basketball exhibition

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners are set to open the Austin Claunch era tonight in Los Angeles in an exhibition against the University of Southern California Trojans. Game time from the Galen Center is at 9 p.m.

The first game with the 34-year-old Claunch on the sidelines for the Roadrunners’ men’s basketball team will be aired on the Big Ten Network’s streaming platform, known as BIG+.

Southern Cal is also raising the curtain on a new start. It’s the first game at USC for coach Eric Musselman, who most recently worked the past five seasons at the University of Arkansas. Musselman has led teams to six NCAA tournaments in his career, three at Nevada and three at Arkansas.

He led the Razorbacks into the NCAA’s Elite Eight in 2021 and 2022 and to the Sweet 16 in 2023.

Claunch, who was hired by UTSA in March, finished out his job as an assistant at the University of Alabama through early April. The Crimson Tide, under head coach Nate Oats, made it all the way through the NCAA tournament to the Final Four during that time.

At that point, Claunch reported to San Antonio and started to rebuild a Roadrunners program that has suffered through three straight seasons of more than 20 losses. Over the next month or so he hired a staff and then signed 12 players from the transfer portal.

“Obviously we’re fired up,” the coach said Monday from the American Athletic Conference media day. “We really like this group. It’s a really competitive group. They’ve been working their butts off.

“Excited even for these exhibitions and scrimmages that we have coming up, just to see somebody else and see where we’re at and where we need to get better.

“It’s not even right around the corner. It’s here. Three weeks out from our first regular-season tipoff. So, we’re excited. We got a lot of work to do. But we like where we’re at.”

In recent weeks, the Roadrunners have brandished a physical style and a fast pace during practices at home in the Convocation Center.

Team leaders Primo Spears and Raekwon Horton traveled to the AAC media day and introduced themselves as first-year Roadrunners.

“We’ve been competing against one another for four months,” said Spears, a Florida State transfer, “so it’s going to be great to compete against somebody else, just to see what lineups fit and really, just assessing what we have…Finally get to play with some fans in the arena.”

Horton came to UTSA from James Madison. His hometown is in Santee, S.C. The 6-foot-6 wing played in NCAA tournaments each of the past two seasons, at the College of Charleston in 2023 and for a 32-win James Madison team last year.

“We’re going to play fast (and) get up and down,” Horton said. “But what I like most about our team is that we’re real tough, very competitive and won’t back down.”

Coming up

Tonight: Men’s basketball exhibition, UTSA at Southern Cal, 9 p.m.
Wednesday: Rowdy Jam, UTSA men’s and women’s basketball teams introduced to the fans, at the Convocation Center, 7 p.m.