LOS ANGELES, Cal. – USC broke open a tight game in the final 10 minutes on Friday night to post a 72-61 victory over Villanova in a charity exhibition game played here at the Galen Center on Friday night. Proceeds raised from the game will benefit victims of the California wildfires.
 
Freshman Jeremiah Robinson-Earl led the Wildcats with 20 points and nine rebounds. Onyeka Okongwu and Daniel Utomi each contributed 15 points to lead USC.
 
Villanova led 28-27 at the half and the contest was deadlocked at 49 midway through the second half. The Trojans capitalized on a 10-2 run midway through the second half to gain the upper hand.
 
"As bad as it was at times for us, this was a great experience for us and we really appreciate everybody at USC being so good to us here," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "We have a lot of new guys that needed to get out on the floor and see what it was like.
 
"They had a lot of new guys too. They did a really good job, killed us on the glass. They were just tougher than us. Andy (Enfield) got their young guys ready quicker than I did our young guys. I like their team a lot. Their guards really hurt us. We couldn't keep them out of the lane."
 
The Wildcats struggled to find an offensive flow early but relied on defense to stay within 10-9 at the first official timeout. Villanova forced seven early turnovers to help offset connecting on just 3-of-15 from the field in the early going.
 
But USC warmed up its long-distance shooting attack, draining three in a burst midway through the period to craft a 19-13 advantage that led to a Wildcats' timeout. Two of the Wildcats' freshmen, Robinson-Earl and Justin Moore keyed a 7-0 surge that gave VU the lead back at 20-19 as the game dipped below the eight-minute mark.
 
The Wildcats would hold the lead the rest of the half, expanding the margin to 28-24 before USC scored the final three points of the period to narrow the gap to 28-27 at intermission.
 
Saddiq Bey led Villanova in with 10 first half points and six rebounds. Robinson-Earl added four points and five boards while Moore had five points. Daniel Utomi led all scorers with 12 points for the Trojans.
 
The Wildcats were just 9-of-31 from the field in the first half but sturdy defense and rebounding helped them overcome the cold shooting.
 
Samuels, who had spent the last nine minutes of the first half on the bench with two fouls, helped spark the Wildcats early in the period. Villanova built a 35-29 advantage before USC came right back with a 7-2 burst of its own to reduce the 'Cats lead to 37-36 with 15:53 to play in the period.
 
The contest seesawed back and forth before USC once again found its offensive footing. The Trojans rode a run that pushed its lead to 58-49 with the clock having dipped below the eight-minute mark.
 
"Down the stretch they made some great plays offensively and we did not execute well offensively in that same stretch," Wright stated. "We have to learn who we are, who our go-to guys are. That's why these games are good. You can hit some 3's to bail you out but you still have the same problems. You might not recognize them."
 
Of Robinson-Earl Wright said: "He did a really good job for a freshman. There are a lot of little things he can improve on but for his first game, I was very pleased."
 
Added Robinson-Earl: "It was a fun experience being in my first college game. It's a big learning experience. We've just got to get back to Nova and get in the gym. The biggest thing I learned was the need to be tough. Being tough leads to a lot of things. Toughness is just a big key in the game."
 
Noted Bey: "I think it was a great experience for us. There are some positives we can take out of this. We've got to get back to work and keep grinding. Tonight we didn't play 40 minutes of Villanova Basketball. It starts with me and the upperclassmen. We didn't set the tone we needed to.."
 
The 2019-20 season – Villanova's 100^th college basketball campaign – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.