USC basketball: Trojans slog through first half, lead Oregon State, 25-24

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The hardwood may be made of quicksand. Or maybe both teams are just stout defensively and wretched offensively. Regardless, Oregon State and USC aren’t showcasing thrilling basketball at the Galen Center today, with the Trojans leading, 25-24, at halftime.

Each team made 10 field goals, but USC missed 21 shot while Oregon State missed 14.

There’s no doubt the Beavers’ 1-3-1 zone defense is causing the Trojans issues. USC had 12 turnovers in the first half, which Oregon State turned into 10 points.

The highlight of the first half was USC forward Marcus Johnson blocking Seth Tarver’s layup against the backboard with 1:06 left before halftime. But Tarver got even on the next trip by making a layup.

But as bad as this looks, USC still scored twice as many points in the first half tonight as it did in the second half Thursday against Oregon (12).

-- Baxter Holmes