The USC Trojans might be young, but they used their talent and athleticism to trump the more experienced Salukis. Regardless of age the Trojans were a much better team on this night and they cruised to a 25 point victory.
SIU got off to good start and held a 10-6 advantage when O.J. Mayo and Taj Gibson came off the bench for the Trojans. Mayo made an immediate impact knocking down a jumper as soon as he stepped on the floor. Moments later Tony Boyle gave him an official welcome by ringing his bell on a back court screen.
ESPN no doubt frustrated many Saluki fans when they continued to show Mayo on the bench during live action and then showed a graphic comparing him to Ben Gordon while the game was being played. Mayo lived up to the hype though, scoring 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting, showing off the shooting range that will make him a lottery pick in the NBA draft.
The Dawgs came out strong in the second half and trimmed the USC lead to 7 points with 16:07 remaining but that's as close as they would get. Davon Jefferson took over the game putting up 20 points to lead all scorers.
USC was very well prepared for this game. They took advantage of Carlton Fay off the dribble and left Tyrone Green wide open for jump shots so they could double team Randal Falker. Falker was still a bright spot for the Salukis picking up 17 points and 12 rebounds, and once again showing off improved shooting range.
USC was basically the home team in this tournament but take nothing away from them, they deserved to win. The Salukis never found a rhythm in this one, but there will be better days. The Dawgs will have to bounce back quickly as they prepare to host the Hoosiers on Saturday night.
