Cal rallies in second half to hand USC first loss

(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Andrej Stojakovic scored 20 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 19 points to help Cal rally past USC 71-66 on Sunday in Los Angeles.

The Golden Bears (3-1) held the Trojans without a point for almost five minutes late in a physical second half as Cal turned a one-point deficit into a 68-64 lead with 1:51 left in the game.

After USC forward Saint Thomas hit a jumper with 6:30 left in the second half to give the Trojans a one-point lead, BJ Omot knocked down a 3-pointer to push Cal ahead 66-64. Joshua Ola-Joseph's layup gave the Golden Bears a four-point cushion.

Desmond Claude responded with a jumper to end USC's scoring drought and cut the Bears' lead to 68-66 with 1:35 left. Terrance Williams II missed a 3-point attempt with 55 seconds left and the Bears made three free throws to seal the victory.

Claude scored 20 points for USC (3-1), which suffered its first loss of the season. Thomas scored 15 points and Wesley Yates III added 10 points.

Cal shot 49.1 percent from the floor, but hit only 7 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc. The Trojans hit 43.9 percent from the floor and were even worse from 3-point range, hitting 6 of 21 shots.

USC held a 43-42 lead after the first half during which the Trojans shot 55.6 percent from the floor. Claude had 13 points and Yates scored 10 in the first 20 minutes.

Blacksher led Cal, which shot 53.3 percent overall before the break, with 18 points and Stojakovic chipped in with 10.

Blacksher knocked down a 3-pointer with 15:18 left before halftime to give the Bears a 13-7 cushion, the largest lead for either team in the back-and-forth first half.

Thomas hit a jumper with 7:22 left to cap an 18-7 run as the Trojans took a 25-20 lead. Yates scored the final four points of the half to help USC take a 43-39 lead with 21 seconds left before halftime but Blacksher hit a 3-pointer to trim Cal's deficit to one point heading to halftime.

--Field Level Media