Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier combined for 42 points as No. 21 Southern California defeated Kansas State 82-69 in the season opener for both teams on Monday in Las Vegas.
Ellis had 24 points and eight rebounds. Collier, the consensus No. 1-ranked recruit in the class of 2023, had 18 points and six assists before fouling out.
After Kansas State scored the first six points of the second half to cut its deficit to four points, USC gradually pulled away. The Trojans retook a double-digit lead with 15 minutes left and led by as many as 19 with 6:33 left. Kansas State went on a 13-2 run to get within single digits but couldn’t get any closer.
The Trojans also got 16 points and eight rebounds from Kobe Johnson and 11 points from Joshua Morgan.
Kansas State, playing without forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who was suspended indefinitely last week following an arrest over an alleged fight, still outrebounded the Trojans 44-41. However, the Wildcats had no answer for USC’s backcourt.
The Wildcats were led by Tylor Perry with 22 points, 16 in the second half, and six assists. Cam Carter added 15 points, and David N’Guessan added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Kansas State struggled from the field from the beginning, missing its first eight shots. Arthur Kaluma scored the Wildcats’ first five points, going 3-for-4 from the line. Collier and the Trojans, meanwhile, settled in quickly. Collier had seven points as the Trojans built a 14-5 lead. He had 10 points by the 10-minute mark.
The Wildcats clawed back into the game as USC started struggling from the field. Kansas State was 2-for-15 midway through the first half, including missing all six 3-point attempts, but the Trojans were only 6-for-15.
The first-half stat sheet was not pretty. Kansas State finished at 25 percent shooting, including 3-for-16 from 3-point range. Perry, whom head coach Jerome Tang called “the best shooter in the nation” at Big 12 media day, was 1-for-9 from the field, 1-for-7 from long range. His only make came just before the halftime buzzer.
Collier was as impressive as advertised. He finished the half with 15 points, while Ellis added 13.
–Field Level Media
