Next Game: vs. Omaha
The University of North Dakota women’s basketball team opens up the week at home against Omaha on Thursday, January 12 at 7 p.m.
Watch the Hawks
All UND women’s basketball games, home and away, can be heard on stations across the Home of Economy Fighting Hawks Radio Network, as well as through the iHeart Radio app, with longtime broadcaster Jack Michaels calling the action. Thursday’s game can be heard on 1440 AM.
Thursday’s game can be seen on Midco Sports or on ESPN+, with a subscription.
Follow the Hawks
Receive live updates during all UND women’s basketball games by following @UNDwbasketball on Twitter. Fans can also follow the Fighting Hawks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @UNDwbasketball as well as go to FightingHawks.com for up-to-the minute stories, stats and more.
Series History vs. the Mavericks
Thursday marks the 67th all-time meeting between North Dakota and Omaha, with UND holding a 55-11 advantage in the series.
In the last eight matchups, the Fighting Hawks have won six of them, dropping only two at Omaha in the 2020-21 season.
Last Time Out: At South Dakota State
The University of North Dakota women’s basketball team dropped its third straight game on Saturday afternoon, falling to South Dakota State, 105-72, from Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D.
The defeat marks the 12th straight loss to SDSU and is the first time UND has allowed 100-plus points since February 1st, 2019 at Western Illinois, as the Fighting Hawks entered the contest ranked second in the Summit League in scoring defense.
Home Sweet Home
UND has been dominant at home this season, improving to 7-0 inside the Betty to begin the season following the win over Western Illinois.
The last time NoDak started 7-0 at home was 2013-14, when the green and white won its first seven contests at home before closing out a 15-1 season on its home floor.
The Fighting Hawks have averaged 73.4 points per game and allowed just 53.6 points per contest in the seven games at home so far this season, including just 30 to UW-Superior. UND has not allowed a home opponent to score more than 66 points through seven contests and has won six of the seven games by double figures.
WBB-FCS: Omaha Mavericks (8-7) at North Dakota Fighting Hawks (9-6)
NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 12, 2023
* Connor McDavid welcomed the second half of the 2022-23 season with another highlight-reel goal and maintained his pace to become the NHL’s highest-scoring player since Mario Lemieux finished with 161 points in 1995-96.
* For the second straight season, the NHL saw a jump in the goals-per-game rate from the quarter mark (6.3 G/GP) to the halfway mark (6.4 G/GP). That is just the third time that has occurred in consecutive seasons since the start of the 1980s.
* Streaking clubs will clash at TD Garden when the Kraken and their six-game win streak square off with a Bruins team that has collected at least point in all 22 of their home games this season.
MORE McDAVID MAGIC MAINTAINS HIS 151-POINT PACE IN 2022-23. . .
The NHL leader in goals and points in 2022-23 Connor McDavid (35-44—79 in 43 GP) collected 1-1—2 to maintain his 151-point pace, including another highlight-reel goal for his 35th of the season. The Oilers captain can become the sixth different player in NHL history to record 150-plus points in a season and first since Mario Lemieux finished with 161 points in 1995-96 – about nine months before McDavid was born.
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* McDavid leads a group of a dozen players on pace to score 100 or more points in 2022-23 – which would represent the highest NHL total in 27 years.
* McDavid (43 GP) required the fewest games among all active players to reach 35 goals in a season, besting Auston Matthews (45 GP in 2020-21) and David Pastrnak (45 GP in 2019-20) who both previously held the distinction. The last Oilers player to score his 35th goal in 43 or fewer games was Wayne Gretzky (35 GP in 1986-87).
. . . WHILE 20-GOAL SCORERS CONTINUE NHL’S FIRST-HALF TRENDS
Travis Konecny (24-22—46 in 36 GP) scored the 47th hat trick of the season, while John Tavares (20-22—42 in 42) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (20-30—50 in 43 GP) each netted their 20th goals of the season to become the NHL’s 24th and 25th players to reach the mark in 2022-23.
* The League’s 25 20-goal scorers at the halfway point of the campaign were the highest total through 653 games since 1995-96 (25).
* Philadelphia improved to 7-3-0 in its past 10 games and moved within seven points of Pittsburgh, which holds the second Wild Card spot. They are among a group of 13 clubs in the Eastern Conference that either occupy a postseason position or sit within seven points of one.
* Tavaresreached the 20-goal mark for the third time with the Maple Leafs and 13th time in his career overall. He became the sixth active player with as many 20-goal seasons joining Alex Ovechkin (18), Sidney Crosby (15), Patrick Kane (14), Patrice Bergeron (13) and Evgeni Malkin (13).
* Nugent-Hopkins joined Connor McDavid (35), Leon Draisaitl (23) and Zach Hyman (20) as Edmonton’s NHL-leading fourth 20-goal scorer in 2022-23 – the most by any club at that stage of a season (43 GP) since 1995-96 (PIT: Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Tomas Sandstrom, Ron Francis & Petr Nedved).
* Click here for everything you need to know about the first half of the 2022-23 campaign. All stats included are entering play on Wednesday (through 653 games played).
BYFIELD SCORES FIRST GOAL OF SEASON ON TNT NATIONAL BROADCAST
Quinton Byfield (1-1—2) netted his third career multi-point game and first tally of 2022-23 in a contest broadcast nationally in the United States. In 2020-21, Byfield skated for the Ontario Reign where he played alongside Akil Thomas and Devante Smith-Pelly in what is said to be the first all-Black line in professional hockey since Herb Carnegie, Ossie Carnegie and Manny McIntyre in the 1940s.
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats: Live Updates – Jan. 11, 2022
* Sabres-Blue Jackets game rescheduled for April 14
* Brind’Amour, Montgomery, DeBoer, Cassidy named NHL All-Star Game coaches
* Mitchell Marner collects point in 18th straight home game, matches Maple Leafs record
* Peter Cech, soccer legend, gets in net against Blackhawks
STREAKING CLUBS SET TO CLASH AT TD GARDEN
The Kraken (24-12-4, 52 points), with six straight wins overall, will contest the sixth game of their seven-game road trip with a stop at 100 Legends Way to clash with the NHL-leading Bruins (32-4-4, 68 points) at TD Garden. Meanwhile, Boston enters the showdown and the second half of the 2022-23 campaign still without a regulation loss at home (19-0-3).
* Seattle, which can record six straight road victories for the second time this season, can become the seventh team in NHL history to win each of its first six or more games of a road trip. The last NHL team to win each of the first six games of a road trip was San Jose in 2015-16 (6 GP from Nov. 13-22, 2015); Seattle’s opponent Thursday has achieved that feat twice in their 98-season history (6 GP from Feb. 17-26, 1972 & Feb. 17 – March 1, 2011).
* Matty Beniers (16-18—34 in 40 GP) has found the back of the net in each of Seattle’s five games to begin their road trip en route to establishing the longest goal streak by a Kraken skater. The rookie scoring leader, with five more goals than the next closest skater, would join rare company should he score again versus the Bruins.
* The Bruins enter the second half of the season on pace for 139 points, which would set an NHL single-season record. The 1976-77 Canadiens (60-8-12, 132 points) hold the current benchmark and are one of two teams in League history with 130+ points in a season. Montreal held a 29-5-6 record (64 points) entering the League’s halfway mark in 1976-77 and posted a 31-3-6 mark over the second half to set the current record.
* Boston, with four straight victories, is also on pace to register an NHL-record 65 wins in 2022-23. The current benchmark of 62 was set by the 1995-96 Red Wings (62-13-7, 131 points) and matched just four seasons ago by the 2018-19 Lightning (62-16-4, 128 points).
POINT EYES MORE SUCCESS AT AMALIE ARENA
Brayden Point (23-17—40 in 39 GP) and the Lightning (25-13-1, 51 points) eye their ninth consecutive win at AMALIE Arena when the Canucks (17-20-3, 37 points) come to town. Part of Tampa Bay’s success on home ice as of late has come on the shoulders of Point, who has found the back of the net in each of his past nine games there dating to Dec. 6 (11-2—13 in 9 GP) – already the longest home goal streak in Lightning history.
PAIR OF STARS EYE 30TH GOALS OF 2022-23
Bo Horvat (29-16—45 in 40 GP) and Jason Robertson (29-29—58 in 42 GP) each sit within striking distance of joining the NHL’s 30-goal club in 2022-23 when the Canucks (17-20-3, 37 points) and Central Division-leading Stars (25-11-6, 56 points) take to the ice.
* Horvat is within one tally of his second career 30-goal campaign in as many seasons following a 31-21—52 (70 GP) performance in 2021-22. The Canucks captain can be the first player with consecutive 30-goal seasons for the franchise since Daniel Sedin (2 from 2010-11 – 2011-12) and can require the fewest games to hit the mark in season with the club since Markus Naslund (41 GP in 2002-03).
* Robertson is coming off a 41-goal campaign in 2021-22 and scored his 30th goal in his 49th contest of the season (March 12, 2022). While two of his current teammates have notched consecutive 30-goal campaigns with the Stars, Robertson can become the sixth active U.S.-born player with multiple such seasons at age 23 or younger following Auston Matthews (5x), Phil Kessel (3x), Kyle Connor (3x), Zach Parise (2x) and Alex DeBrincat (2x).
NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (26-14) at Miami Heat (27-20)
Given recent events, the Milwaukee Bucks will want to limit the Miami Heat’s trips to the foul line.
The Heat set an NBA record on Tuesday by going 40-for-40 on free throws in a 112-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On Thursday, the Heat will host the Bucks, who won the NBA championship in 2021. The Heat will also host the Bucks on Saturday afternoon.
Miami is 10-11 on the road this season, and not much better at home (12-9).
It remains to be seen how healthy the Heat will be on Thursday. On Tuesday, Miami was missing four starters, including two — Bam Adebayo (wrist) and Tyler Herro (foot) — who have combined to average 42.6 points per game. Starting point guard Kyle Lowry, who leads the team with 5.6 assists per game, was out due to knee discomfort.
Spoelstra is hoping that all three players can return on Thursday. On Tuesday, though, Miami used just seven players after backup center Dewayne Dedmon’s temper tantrum resulted in an ejection.
Jimmy Butler, Miami’s ever-reliable star, rode to the rescue with a game-high 35 points, making all 23 of his free throws.
For the season, Butler leads Miami in scoring (22.1) and steals (2.2) while ranking second in assists (5.5) and rebounds (6.4).
Meanwhile, the Bucks started this season 9-0 but have been just about average over the past two months, going 18-14.
Part of the problem is Khris Middleton has missed 13 straight games due to a knee injury. There is no timetable for his return, although he participated in 5-on-5 drills on Tuesday.
A three-time All-Star, Middleton sat out last year’s playoff series against the Boston Celtics, and the Bucks got swept.
“We need this guy,” Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Middleton, who averaged over 20 points in each of the past three years.
Of course, what the Bucks need most of all is continued excellence from Antetokounmpo, who was voted the NBA’s MVP in 2019 and 2020. He was also the NBA Finals MVP in 2021.
Antetokounmpo ranks third in the league in scoring (31.0) and rebounds (11.9). He also sits second on the Bucks in assists (5.3), trailing only Jrue Holiday (7.1). Holiday is a two-time first-team All-NBA defender.
The Bucks are on a two-game winning streak, beating the New York Knicks, 111-107, on Monday and defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 114-105, on Wednesday.
Against New York, the Bucks rallied after trailing by 17 points with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Milwaukee’s Joe Ingles scored a season-high 17 points as the Bucks got hot against the Knicks.
Against the Hawks, Antetokounmpo was held to a season-low seven points on 3-for-10 shooting. He did, however, have game highs in rebounds (18) and assists (10).
Holiday (27 points) and Brook Lopez (20 points, 12 rebounds) took up Milwaukee’s scoring slack.
One negative for the Bucks on Wednesday was the ankle injury suffered by starting guard Grayson Allen, who played 13 minutes and missed the entire second half.
NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (30-12) at Brooklyn Nets (27-13)
Last season, the Brooklyn Nets struggled so extensively without Kevin Durant they endured an 11-game losing streak and won five times in a span of 21 games to tumble from atop the Eastern Conference into fighting for one of the play-in spots.
This time, the Nets believe they are better equipped to withstand a lengthy absence by Durant. They’ll get their first chance at validating their belief Thursday night when they host the Boston Celtics.
Durant will be out for at least two weeks with a sprained right knee after an MRI exam on Monday revealed an isolated sprain in his medial collateral ligament. Durant was injured in the third quarter when he collided with Miami’s Jimmy Butler before the Nets concluded a three-game road trip with a 102-101 victory on Sunday.
Last year, Durant was injured Jan. 15 in a home game with the New Orleans Pelicans when he collided with then-teammate Bruce Brown, resulting in a sprained MCL. This time, the Nets have a fully available Kyrie Irving, who last season could not play home games due to New York’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and they also do not have anyone on their way to requesting a trade as James Harden did last season. He was eventually dealt to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons.
The Nets head into their second meeting against the Celtics with 14 wins in their past 15 games. They enjoyed a 12-game winning streak before taking a nine-point loss at Chicago and ended the trip when Royce O’Neale converted a putback with 3.2 seconds remaining after Irving scored 29 points.
Brooklyn also is seeking a sixth straight home win and a 12th win in their past 13 home contests. The Nets’ one home loss in that span is a 103-92 loss to the Celtics on Dec. 4.
Since its last visit to Brooklyn, Boston is 11-7. The Celtics are also 8-2 in their past 10 games and scored at least 120 points for the sixth time in that span when they pulled away for a 125-114 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jaylen Brown, who scored 34 in the last meeting with the Nets, led the Celtics with a season-high 41 against New Orleans. Jayson Tatum added 31 for his third straight 30-point showing, and it marked the 19th time the duo scored at least 30 in the same game.
Even though Thursday is the second night of a back-to-back, Brown and Tatum are expected to play. The Celtics were without Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III on Wednesday due to knee injuries, and both could be out again Thursday.
Houston Dash sign free agent midfielder Havana Solaun
NEED TO KNOW:
- Solaun spent the last two seasons with the North Carolina Courage
- The midfielder made 14 starts in 20 appearances during her two-year stint with North Carolina
- The Jamaican international has also played for the Washington Spirit, Seattle Regin and Norwegian side Kelpp IL
HOUSTON – The Houston Dash have agreed to terms with free agent midfielder Havana Solaun through the 2024 season, the team announced today.
“I am excited to welcome Havana to Houston,” Dash general manager Alex Singer said. “She is a dynamic midfielder who can operate box to box, is creative in small spaces, and breaks lines to create opportunities. Even more important, she is a true professional and her character will be an advantage to our group. We look forward to seeing what she does on both sides of the ball and having her join the group.”
Solaun joins the Dash after a two-year stint with the North Carolina Courage. The 29-year-old finished with 14 starts and 20 appearances for the Courage.
Solan first joined the NWSL in 2015 when she was drafted No. 15 overall in the NWSL College Draft by the Seattle Reign, an injury sidelined her for the rest of the season. After her rookie season, Solaun was traded to the Washington Spirit where she became a key figure in the midfield. During her two seasons with the Spirit, she made 25 starts in 37 appearances and scored five goals.
“I’m eager for the next stop in my soccer career to begin in Houston,” Solaun said. “I have always strived to further challenge my skill set both on and off the field. I am grateful that the Houston Dash will be a part of that challenge as we aim to win a championship.”
In 2019, Solaun transferred to Klepp IL, who competes in Norway’s top women’s division. While with Klepp, Solaun made 19 starts in 20 appearances and scored 10 goals.
Solaun represents Jamaica at the international level and made her debut in March 2019 in a friendly against Chile. The midfielder scored at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. Her goal against Australia was the first for Jamica in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
With the addition of Solaun, Houston now has 22 players under contract. The current Houston Dash roster can be found listed below in alphabetical order and by position:
Goalkeepers (3): Jane Campbell, Ella Dederick*, Devon Kerr
Defenders (7): Julia Ashley, Allysha Chapman, Annika Creel*, Caprice Dydasco, Katie Naughton, Natalie Jacobs, Ally Prisock
Midfielders (5): Emily Curran, Shea Groom, Sophie Schmidt, Havana Solaun, Marisa Viggiano
Forwards (7): Michelle Alozie, Joelle Anderson, Ryan Gareis, Paulina Gramaglia, Nichelle Prince*, Ebony Salmon, Maria Sanchez
* = denotes player will start on Season Ending Injury list until cleared to return to play.
TRANSACTION: Houston Dash and free agent Havana Solaun agree to a two-year contract through the 2024 season.
PLAYER PROFILE – HAVANA SOLAUN
FULL NAME: Havana Marguerite Solaun
PRONUNCIATION: SOL-on
DATE OF BIRTH: February 23, 1993
HEIGHT: 5-9
BIRTHPLACE: Sha Tin, British Hong Kong
HOMETOWN: Gainesville, Florida
PREVIOUS CLUB: North Carolina Courage
FIFA NATIONALITY: Jamaica
NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (23-19) at Los Angeles Lakers (19-22)
After their recent surge was derailed by the Western Conference’s top team, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to regroup Thursday against another conference power in the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers saw their season-best five-game winning streak toppled Monday during a 122-109 defeat to the Denver Nuggets in a game where LeBron James was a mere observer with left ankle soreness.
As if that wasn’t enough, Los Angeles also was without Lonnie Walker IV (knee), Austin Reaves (hamstring) and Troy Brown Jr. (quad), while Patrick Beverley (hip) departed at halftime. Anthony Davis has been out since Dec. 18 with a stress injury to his right foot.
A brutally slow start and a myriad of injuries have come to define Darvin Ham’s first season as Lakers head coach, although a sense of resiliency has emerged.
After Davis went down in mid-December, with his absence initially ruled indefinite, the losses continued to mount. Then James delivered his post-Christmas challenge, saying that he is still capable of winning, while coaxing his teammates to follow his lead.
The Lakers’ five-game run of victories started there, with one of them even coming with James sitting out. They could not repeat the feat Monday and now wait to see if James and select others will be fit enough to face the Mavericks.
Mavs superstar Luka Doncic followed that same credo this week, when he sat out Sunday’s eventual 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with left ankle soreness. He returned Tuesday to score 43 points with 11 rebounds, but Dallas fell 113-101 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Mavs have now lost three of their past four games following a seven-game winning streak, and have fallen to 0-2 to open a five-game road swing that will conclude with two games at Portland over the weekend.
Doncic made just three field goals in the first half against the Clippers before asserting himself after halftime with 31 points and nine rebounds. He made consecutive 3-pointers with just under three minutes remaining to keep the Mavs in the game before the Clippers pulled away.
The Mavs are still dealing with a rash of injuries, just like the Lakers. Dallas big man Dwight Powell (hip) left Tuesday’s game in the first half and did not return. Already out were Maxi Kleber (hamstring), Dorian Finney-Smith (adductor) and Josh Green (elbow).
NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (26-16) at Portland Trail Blazers (19-21)
Donovan Mitchell is making the type of impact the Cleveland Cavaliers expected, and perhaps he is even exceeding projections.
The star guard has topped 40 points on five occasions this season and aims for another high-scoring effort when the Cavaliers visit the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
Mitchell reminded his former club — the Utah Jazz — of his scoring prowess on Tuesday, but Cleveland lost 116-114 in Mitchell’s first return to Salt Lake City as a visiting player after an offseason trade sent him to the Cavaliers.
Mitchell scored 46 points in the setback after receiving a huge ovation from Utah fans before the game and receiving a video tribute from the club.
The outing wasn’t even Mitchell’s best of the month.
The three-time All-Star set a Cavaliers record with a personal-best 71 points in a 145-134 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 2.
Mitchell ranks seventh in the NBA in scoring at 29.3 points per game entering Wednesday. His impact on the Cavaliers has been so large that he appears to be a shoo-in for another All-Star Game appearance.
The interesting part of the Donovan All-Star buzz is the location of the game. Yes, the Jazz are the All-Star Game hosts.
Cleveland is 1-2 on a five-game road trip and may have veteran point guard Ricky Rubio on the court for the first time this season.
Rubio tore the ACL in his left knee 12 1/2 months ago and an availability decision is set to come after the club sees how the knee responds to Wednesday’s practice.
Rubio, in his 12th season, was a teammate of Mitchell for two seasons with the Jazz.
Mitchell scored 34 points when the Cavaliers posted a 114-96 home victory over Portland on Nov. 23. It was Cleveland’s third straight win over the Trail Blazers.
Portland is playing shaky of late with four straight losses to match a season worst and nine of 12 defeats overall.
The Trail Blazers on Tuesday began a stretch in which 10 of 11 games are at home and they never once led during a 109-106 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Still, Portland had a chance to force overtime but missed three 3-point attempts in the final 14 seconds. Star guard Damian Lillard didn’t get one of the attempts as the misses were by Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons. he Trail Blazers finished 6 of 35 (17.1 percent) from long range.
Lillard, who scored 30 points against Orlando, also is perplexed about the slump but feels a turnaround is coming.
Lillard missed the earlier game with the Cavaliers due to a calf strain. He is 10th in the NBA in scoring (27.4).
NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (11-31) at Toronto Raptors (18-23)
After making a season-best 20 3-pointers on Tuesday, the Toronto Raptors hope the hot shooting continues Thursday night as they go for a two-game sweep of the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
The 132-120 victory over Charlotte on Tuesday gave the Raptors two straight wins and a 2-2 record so far on a six-game homestand. They will be going for their first three-game winning streak of the season.
The 20-for-44 (45.5 percent) shooting from beyond the arc was encouraging for the Raptors, whose shooting has been inconsistent. They shot 45-for-91 (49.5 percent) from the field overall on Tuesday.
Reserve Precious Achiuwa made a season-best three 3-pointers and scored 13 points. Toronto had a 40-18 advantage in bench scoring.
Pascal Siakam led Toronto with 28 points that included two 3-pointers. Gary Trent Jr. had four 3-pointers and 24 points.
Terry Rozier scored 33 points for Charlotte and LaMelo Ball added 24 points and a season-best 14 assists.
Charlotte shot 15-for-35 (42.9 percent) from 3-point range and 47-for-86 (54.7 percent) from the field overall.
Toronto had the advantage in rebounding, 49-34 overall and 18-6 in offensive rebounds.
The Hornets hope to respond in the rematch on Thursday.
The Raptors are 18-23 at the halfway point of their season.
NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (18-23) at Philadelphia Sixers (25-15)
The Philadelphia 76ers had little trouble dispatching the depleted Detroit Pistons in consecutive games.
The task will be a bit more daunting when the Sixers host the improved Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
Joel Embiid led the way with 36 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in a 147-116 rout of the Pistons on Tuesday. James Harden added his 72nd career triple-double with 16 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds.
Embiid had missed the three previous games with left foot soreness, so his stellar play had to be encouraging.
Even if it came against a rebuilding team which had a litany of injuries.
Six players reached double figures including deep reserve Jaden Springer, who had a career-high 10 points.
The Thunder will look to rebound after a tough 112-111 loss on the road to the Miami Heat on Tuesday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 26 points and Josh Giddey had 18 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists to lead five players in double figures in scoring.
Giddey now has six triple-doubles in his young career.
In a bizarre game, the Heat converted an NBA record 40-of-40 shots from the free throw line.
While the Heat took advantage of the free throws, it continued a troubling trend for the young Thunder.
They have been committing too many fouls, especially costly ones in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder have used 20 different starting lineups in 41 games this season.
MBB-FBS: Colorado Buffaloes (11-6) at USC Trojans (11-5)
The USC Trojans (11-5, 3-2) will host the Colorado Buffaloes (11-6, 3-3) at the Galen Center on Jan. 12 at 6:00 p.m. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with J.B. Long and Don MacLean calling the action.
HAPPY TO BE HOME — USC is playing at home for the first time since defeating Auburn 74-71 on Dec. 18. The Trojans are 7-1 at the Galen Center this season. USC has started Pac-12 play with one home game and four road games in its first five contests. The last time USC started with four road games in its first five conference games was the 1967 season.
USC’S STELLAR STRETCH — USC won a school-record 73 games over the last three seasons (22 in 2020, 25 in 2021 and 26 in 2022). The previous school record for wins in three consecutive seasons was 71 (2016-18). The three consecutive seasons of 20+ wins also equals the school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons set from 2016-18.
WINNING WAYS — USC’s 73 total wins the previous three seasons tied for the third most among all Power 6 basketball programs, trailing only the last two NCAA champions Kansas (83) and Baylor (81). Also, USC’s 160 wins the previous seven seasons ranked 13th among all Power 6 conference teams.
ENFIELD LEADING THE WAY — USC head coach Andy Enfield is in his 10th season at USC and has compiled an 194-123 record. His wins total ranks fourth on USC’s all-time wins list, trailing only Sam Barry (260), Forrest Twogood (251) and Bob Boyd (216). Including his two seasons as the head coach at FGCU (2012-13), Enfield has compiled a 235-151 record.
FACING COLORADO — The Colorado Buffaloes (11-6, 3-3) are coming off a home sweep of the Oregon schools, defeating Oregon 68-41 on Jan. 5 and Oregon State 62-42 on Jan. 7. Colorado has won 7 of its last 8 games. Sophomore guard KJ Simpson leads Colorado in scoring with a 17.9 points per game average. USC won 61-58 at Colorado last season in the only meeting between the two schools. USC had lost the previous 7 meetings with Colorado and trails in the all-time series 8-16.
UTAH ON DECK — USC’s next game will be against the Utah Runnin’ Utes (12-5, 5-1) at the Galen Center on Jan. 14. Utah will play at UCLA on Jan. 12 before facing USC. Senior center Branden Carlson leads four Utes in double-figures with a 15.7 scoring average. USC won both games against Utah last season and four of the last five games, but trails 24-26 in the all-time series.
CAN WE SLIDE THE START TIME? — USC is 8-0 this season when the tip is set for 7 p.m. or later.
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER — USC went 6-0 in December this season and has won its last 12 games played in December. USC went a combined 20-2 during the month of December the last four seasons.
IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE — USC held California to 27.7 shooting on Nov. 30, the lowest by an opponent since holding Stanford to a 25.4 shooting percentage on March 3, 2021. USC allowed Washington State to make a 2022-23 opponent high 49.1 percent of its shots on Jan. 1,
then followed that up by holding Pac-12 leader UCLA to 34.5 percent shooting on Jan. 5. USC has held 10 of its 16 opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting. USC is holding its opponents to a 38.0 shooting percentage this season, 13th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC’s defense has held the opposition to 38.7 FG percentage, 3rd in the country.
THE TOP STACK IN THE PAC — USC is third in conference regular season wins among Pac-12 teams for the past six seasons (since the 2017-18 season). USC is 63-36, Arizona is 64-35, while UCLA is 65-33 in that stretch, through games of Jan. 9. Next up would be Oregon at 61-35 and Colorado at 57-41.
USC’S ALL-YEAR BLOCK PARTY — USC has 90 blocks this season, led by Joshua Morgan’s 43 blocks. USC is averaging 5.6 blocks per game, tied for 15th in the country. Morgan’s 43 blocks this season rank 9th in the country. Morgan had 7 blocks vs. FGCU on Nov. 7 which tied him for fifth on USC’s all-time single game blocks list. He matched that total with 7 blocks at Cal on Nov. 30. His 43 blocks this season are more than the Trojans’ leader in that category during the 2021-22 season (Isaiah Mobley – 29). USC as a team has registered 561 blocks over the last four seasons which ranks 6th nationally.
PETERSON PROVIDING THE PASS — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is fourth among Pac-12 players with 82 assists, which ranks tied for 30th nationally. Peterson is one of two players nationally (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
JEKYLL & HYDE FROM WAY OUTSIDE — USC made 9 three-pointers vs. Colorado State on Dec. 21 and has had four games with at least 9 three-pointers made this season. In those four games, USC made 46.7 percent of its three-pointers (42-for-90), while making 24.6 percent of its three-pointers in the other 12 games (48-for-195).
RARE CLOSE LOSS — With the 60-58 loss over then No. 10 UCLA on Jan. 5, USC fell to 9-3 in one-possession games since the start of the 2021-22 season.
