Mobley scores career-high 25, USC beats Cal 76-68

Published Jan. 23, 2021 10:52 p.m. ET

Associated Press

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Freshman Evan Mobley scored 17 of his season-high 25 points in the second half, Tahj Eaddy added 18 points and Southern California beat California 76-68 on Saturday night.

Mobley made 12 of 15 from the free-throw line and also had eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

The Trojans (12-3, 6-2 Pac-12) took a four-point lead when Mobley made a jumper with about two minutes left and, after an empty possession by Cal, went to the foul line with 58 seconds to go but missed both free throws. Max Agbonkpolo rebounded the second and then missed a 3-point shot but Mobley grabbed the offensive rebound and his putback with 36 seconds remaining made it 72-66. Ryan Betley made layup on the other end seven seconds later before Eaddy and Mobley added two free throws each to cap the scoring.

Grant Antecevich and Joel Brown led Cal (7-10, 2-8) with 15 points apiece. Matt Bradley, who went into the game averaging a team-high 17.8 points, had 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting in 24 minutes. The 6-foot-4 junior returned after missing the last five games, and seven of the last nine, due to ankle injuries.

USC had won six games in a row before scoring a season-low 56 points Tuesday in a loss to Oregon State and then had a game against Stanford canceled 14 minutes before its scheduled tipoff on Thursday due to a positive test for coronavirus that was later declared a false-positive.

Eaddy made a short jumper and then a 3-pointer and Mobley scored eight points before a dunk by Isaiah White gave the Trojans a 15-4 lead with 14:58 left in the first half. Bradley hit a 3 about 10 minutes later to give Cal a 25-24 lead, the first of the game's 20 lead changes.

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