Desmond Claude, USC hold off hot-shooting UT Arlington – Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES — Desmond Claude scored 26 points and made consecutive shots down the stretch to help USC beat UT Arlington, 98-95, on Wednesday night at the Galen Center.

Claude made a layup and jumper to give USC a 94-90 lead with 19 seconds left. Jaxon Ellingsworth then hit a 3-pointer to pull UTA to within 94-93 with 12 seconds left before Terrance Williams II and Saint Thomas each made a pair of free throws to help the Trojans hold on.

UTA made four 3-pointers during a 23-11 run to take its first lead of the second half at 69-68 with 11:54 remaining. Kade Douglas scored eight points and Ellingsworth added six during the stretch.

Williams answered with a layup and Kevin Patton Jr. added a one-handed dunk to put the Trojans ahead 72-69 with 10:30 left. Then neither team had more than a one-possession advantage until Claude put the Trojans ahead by four in the final seconds.

Claude shot 9 for 12 from the field and made 8 of 9 free throws to go with eight assists and five rebounds. Josh Cohen scored 19 points and Williams finished with 18 for USC (3-0). Wesley Yates III added 14 points.

“This is going to help us down the line in March, these kind of tight games,” Cohen said after a game that featured 16 lead changes and 10 ties. “That team is a good team. They came out there on fire and we still won the game.”

Jaden Wells scored 27 points and Ellingsworth had 19 for UTA (1-2). Wells made seven 3-pointers and Ellingsworth hit four for the Mavericks, who shot 16 for 24 (67%) from long range.

“Their 3-point shooting is as good as any team that I’ve seen” USC coach Eric Musselman said. “I can’t remember any of our teams ever giving up 16 threes. So, defensively, we have some things that we really have to get better at.”

UTA outscored the Trojans 48-18 from 3-point range, but the Trojans essentially offset that with a 26-point advantage in the paint.