Gonzaga rallies, but falls to USC 96-93 in exhibition opener

PALM DESERT, Calif. – As a general rule, exhibition games tend to be sloppy at times with teams seeing live action against a new opponent.

Throw in the fact that Gonzaga and USC substituted liberally Saturday to get a closer look at different lineup combinations, and the result was lots of whistles and lapses at both ends of the floor through roughly the first 28 minutes.

But then the sixth-ranked Zags and Trojans seriously dialed up the intensity and their offensive firepower, resulting in a highly competitive, entertaining shootout down the stretch.

Gonzaga made up an 11-point second-half deficit but couldn’t complete the comeback at the defensive end as USC claimed a 96-93 victory in front of a sparsely populated audience inside Acrisure Arena.

“They brought some athleticism, some physicality and they pressured us,” Zags coach Mark Few said. “It’s took us a while to adjust to that. Obviously, our defense was a real issue down the stretch. They were just iso-ing our guards.

“You know, toughen up and guard your yard. We tried a bunch of different bodies, so we have to keep experimenting with some stuff there.”

Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi hit a corner 3-pointer to tie the score at 89 with 1:40 left. USC’s Desmond Claude answered with two free throws and penetrated for a short bank shot to put the Trojans up 93-89.

Gonzaga senior point guard Ryan Nembhard made four free throws, but USC still led 96-93 lead after Claude’s free throw with 7 seconds remaining. Nembhard, who had a big second half, misfired on a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

“We were just trying to find our continuity with lineups and trying to figure out what’s best for us offensively,” said Nembhard, who finished with 19 points and eight assists. “We played good offense in the second half, for sure.

“We just have to be a little better (defensively), myself included. I have to be able to level able to level guys off and guard my man. And we have to come up with those rebounds. They probably outboarded us.”

The Trojans, picked 14th in the Big Ten Conference preseason poll, held a 34-32 edge on the glass, but Gonzaga had a nine-point advantage in second-chance points thanks to 13 offensive rebounds.

Khalif Battle, a transfer guard from Arkansas, came up with 12 of his team-high 20 points in the first half when the Zags sputtered for lengthy stretches. Ajayi had three 3-pointers, 13 points and six rebounds in his Zag debut. Braden Huff, Graham Ike and Nolan Hickman each had 12 points.

USC’s taller guards and wings repeatedly stung GU’s defense with dribble penetration and spot-up 3s.

Terrance Williams II, a 6-foot-7 wing, made several clutch plays late and led the Trojans with 20 points. The 6-6 Claude scored 19 points, and Boise State transfer Chibuzo Agbo, a 6-7 guard, chipped in 15 points. Williams and Agbo combined to connect on 7 of 11 3-pointers.

“As a group, especially myself, we have to pick it up defensively, but it’s a learning experience,” Battle said. “It’s a tough one, but it’s still an exhibition. So we’re going to come back and get better.”

The teams combined for 52 fouls and 66 free throws. Many of those whistles came early, resulting in both offenses unable to find much rhythm. Both teams finished 26 of 33 at the foul line.

Few wouldn’t have minded seeing more fouls called.

“It’s not about the whistles when the other team is just tackling you,” Few said. “They probably could have called more fouls. If you just let people tackle you, you’re not going to ever score if you don’t call a foul.

“So I was fine with all the whistles they were fouls. There probably should have been more whistles, quite frankly. If that’s the game, then you have to make your free throws and try not to foul them.”

Gonzaga took a 39-37 halftime lead despite shooting just 36.7% from the field. Huff’s putback basket at the buzzer gave GU a two-point edge.

Battle and Ajayi combined for 19 points and were the only Zags to shoot 50% or better in the first half.

Gonzaga heated up, scoring 54 points on 54.5% shooting in the second half. USC countered with 59 points and 65.5% from the field in the closing half.

“The last 10 minutes felt pretty real,” Nembhard said. “Two teams that really wanted to win.”