USC men’s basketball team hopes home cooking pays off against Oregon

LOS ANGELES >> USC coach Andy Enfield grinned.Asked if he had a takeaway from the Trojans’ loss at Oregon earlier this season, he offered one.“They have won 40 straight in Eugene,” Enfield said, “so we were one of 40 to lose...

USC men’s basketball team hopes home cooking pays off against Oregon

LOS ANGELES >> USC coach Andy Enfield grinned.

Asked if he had a takeaway from the Trojans’ loss at Oregon earlier this season, he offered one.

“They have won 40 straight in Eugene,” Enfield said, “so we were one of 40 to lose up there.”

Point taken. The fifth-ranked Ducks hold quite the home-court advantage. They have won 40 consecutive games at Matthew Knight Arena, the longest home winning streak in Division I college basketball.

So, when USC fell there in late December 84-61, it was its first loss, but also hardly unusual. Even in Pac-12 play, Oregon has won more than half of its home games by double-digits.

It stands to reason the Trojans might benefit from the change in location as they aim for an upset in the teams’ rematch Saturday night.

The Ducks’ four losses this season have come on the road, including an 82-79 loss at UCLA on Thursday night.

The Galen Center has also been a friendly venue for USC.

Though it averages less than half-capacity crowds, it has gone 28-4 the past two seasons on its home court.

“I get asked that question all the time,” Enfield said, “but it’s like that in every sport, baseball, basketball, football. I don’t know the answer why.”

Enfield reasoned it was not out of the ordinary, especially in the Pac-12. Most of the top teams in the conference play well at home. Arizona is 13-0 at the McKale Center. UCLA is 12-1 at Pauley Pavilion. California is 14-2 at Haas Pavilion.

The Trojans enter the matchup following a 92-66 home victory over Oregon State, their second largest margin of victory this season.

Their run of five consecutive conference victories is their longest since the 2001-02 season.

“Any winning streak is the right direction,” sophomore guard Shaqquan Aaron said.

When USC last faced Oregon, it carried a 14-game winning streak. Enfield didn’t see the recent run as much benefit, although it didn’t add much stress either.

“I’d rather it be a five-game winning streak than a five-game losing streak, because I wouldn’t have much hair left,” Enfield said. “I’d be a bald coach. But we really don’t think about it like that. We know we have to go compete.”

The high-scoring Ducks still shot 46 percent, forced 17 turnovers and handed the Trojans their worst loss of the season.

“We took it very hard,” Aaron said.

After the game, junior guard Jordan McLaughlin said it was the worst they had played this season.

USC was missing sophomore forward Bennie Boatwright, who was out with a knee injury.

Boatwright watched from the team bench, dressed in street clothes.

He will be in the lineup Saturday.

“I’m excited,” Boatwright said. “They’re a great team. They have a potent offense and they block a lot of shots. It’ll be a task to play them. I’m happy that I’ll be out there.”

McLaughlin added the young team has recovered since then. In their past meeting, the Trojans were pushed around. He vowed that it would not reoccur.

“We watched film from the game when we played up there,” he said. “We were playing slow. We weren’t playing tough. Those are the things we’ve changed since that game. Obviously it’s been working for us.”

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