USC dominates Kansas, advances to Sweet 16

The USC Trojans are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 14 years. The Trojans never trailed in their 85-51 blowout win over the No. 3 seeded Kansas Jayhawks.

Isiah Mobley was sensational. He had 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while his younger brother Evan finished with 10 points, 13 boards, five assists and three blocks.

Andy Enfield’s squad played one of its best games of the season. USC held Kansas to 29 percent shooting and dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Jayhawks 43-27. The Trojans shot the ball extremely well, connecting on 11-of-17 attempts from beyond the arc.

USC scored the opening basket and never looked back.

Led by the Mobley brothers, the Trojans got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 12-5 lead eight minutes into the game.

The Mobley brothers gave the Jayhawks fits during the opening half, combining for 21 points and 16 rebounds. Isiah and Evan were too much for Kansas to handle in the paint and dominated inside, helping USC to a 40-21 lead at the break.

The Trojans’ defense continued to stymie the Jayhawks throughout the first half, holding Kansas to just eight-of-31 shooting from the field and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc.

USC’s strong play continued into the second half, and it didn’t allow Kansas to make a run and get back into the game. The Jayhawks were visibly frustrated with the Trojan’s suffocating defense and settled for too many contested 3s.

Kansas head coach Bill Self had his squad go with a 2-3 zone in the second half, but USC found ways to penetrate the defense, which resulted in several easy looks in the paint. The Trojans never allowed the Jayhawks to cut the lead under 16 points over the final 20 minutes.

USC will play Pac-12 rival Oregon in the Sweet 16 on Sunday. The Trojans beat the Ducks 72-58 in their only meeting of the season on Feb. 22.