Southern California guard Boogie Ellis (5) drives past Utah guard Rollie Worster (25) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Los Angeles • Boogie Ellis scored 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, Tre White added 13 points and Southern California beat Utah 71-56 Saturday night.
USC (13-5, 5-2 Pac-12) has won nine consecutive home games, the longest single-season streak of its kind since the Trojans won their first nine games at the Galen Center to start the 2016-17 season.
Reese Dixon-Waters and Drew Peterson each had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists for Southern Cal.
Branden Carlson returned from a one-game absence (non-COVID illness) for Utah (12-7, 5-3) and finished with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting (3 of 5 from 3-point range), nine rebounds and three blocks. Rollie Worster added 12 points.
Utah center Branden Carlson dunks past Southern California forward Kobe Johnson (0) and forward Joshua Morgan (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Worster made a layup to trim Utah’s deficit to 39-34 at halftime. Carlson made two free throws and then threw down a dunk before Gabe Madsen hit a 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run to open the second half and give the Runnin’ Utes a two-point lead. Ellis answered with a 3-pointer to give USC the lead for good and Dixon-Waters hit a 3-pointer in an 11-2 spurt that made it 59-49 with eight minutes to go.
Utah shot 34% (21 of 61) from the field and made 8 of 25 (32%) from 3-point range.
Ellis has scored in double figures in each of the last eight games following a three-game stretch in which he scored a total of 18 points on 7-of-28 shooting, 2 of 15 from behind the arc.
The Utes have lost three games in a row.
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