Metu's Career-High 29 Fuels USC Past Washington State
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Chimezie Metu scored a career-high 29 points, grabbed eight rebounds and Southern California outlasted Washington State 86-77 on Saturday night.
Metu finished 12 of 14 from the field. Jonah Mathews chipped in 18 points and six boards for the Trojans (20-4, 7-4 Pac-12).
After a Josh Hawkinson dunk with 10:17 left gave the Cougars a two-point advantage, USC scored 15 of the next 17 points to take the lead for good.
Ike Iroegbu finished with 22 points and nine assists, and Hawkinson had 17 points and 16 boards for the Cougars (11-12, 4-7).
The teams traded momentum and the lead throughout the first half. WSU made 5 of its first 11 3-point attempts, but the Trojans turned a 20-8 interior scoring advantage into a five-point halftime lead. Thanks to Metu's offensive performance, the Trojans ultimately won the interior battle and shot 57.1 percent from the field.