Jabe Mullins and DJ Rodman each tallied 16 points, with Justin Powell adding 15 points and seven assists, as Washington State defeated Southern California 81-71 on Sunday, snapping a 12-game losing streak against the Trojans.
Mullins, coming off the bench, hit 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, while Powell made 4 of 7. Rodman also excelled from long range, sinking 3 of 6 attempts, and was perfect at the free-throw line with 7 of 8. TJ Bamba contributed 14 points and six rebounds, and Mouhamed Gueye added 12 points along with three blocks.
Mullins sparked a 10-0 run with consecutive 3-pointers, propelling the Cougars to a 19-11 lead midway through the first half. Although Kobe Johnson’s three-point play and Drew Peterson’s quick baskets brought USC within a point, Washington State responded with 3-pointers from Mullins, Andrej Jakimovski, Powell, and Rodman to establish a 31-22 lead at 6:43.
Rodman’s 3-pointer increased the lead to 34-24, with Mullins adding another basket off an offensive rebound. Gueye scored the last five points of the half, giving the Cougars a 41-30 advantage at the break.
In the second half, Reese Dixon-Waters’ three-point play reduced the deficit to six points, but Gueye’s free throw, Bamba’s consecutive layups, and Gueye’s dunk extended the lead to 61-48 with 8:06 remaining. Washington State maintained a double-digit lead, with Jakimovski’s 3-pointer setting their largest lead at 71-56, and USC never closing the gap to fewer than eight points.
Drew Peterson led USC with 16 points and eight rebounds, followed by Kobe Johnson with 13 points and seven rebounds. Boogie Ellis added 12 points and seven rebounds before fouling out, and Joshua Morgan chipped in 10 points. USC’s defeat ended their seven-game winning streak and their three-game road streak to start Pac-12 play.
This victory was a rebound for WSU, who had recently suffered a tough 67-66 loss to No. 11 UCLA, where they missed their final nine shots and were outscored 14-4 in the closing minutes.