USC Finds Offense, Beats TCU 83-59

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Maurice Jones scored 25 points, Dewayne Dedmon had 14, and Southern California had its best scoring output of the season in beating TCU 83-59 on Monday night.

The Trojans never trailed and led by as many as 20 early in the second half. They shot 51 percent and committed only five turnovers.

Byron Wesley scored 13 points and fellow freshman Alexis Moore added 12 for USC (5-7), which entered Monday averaging 54.2 points per game.

Hank Thorns had 12 points to lead TCU (7-4), while Craig Williams scored 11.

Jones, a 5-foot-7 sophomore and the Trojans' lone returning starter from last season, had 18 points in the first half in helping USC take control for good.

It was 16-16 when Jones scored nine of his team's next 12 points. He hit a short jumper and a transition 3-pointer, followed by a pair of free throws and another jumper as the Trojans went ahead 28-21.

USC led 42-33 at the break, and Dedmon made a pair of layups right away in the second half to keep the momentum with the Trojans. Jones later pushed it an insurmountable 20-point advantage to carry USC to its first win in four games.

With USC up by 28 with just over 2 minutes left, coach Kevin O'Neill pulled his starters, a luxury the Trojans have not been afforded many times this season.

Aaron Fuller finished with nine points and 11 rebounds. Jones made four 3-pointers and dished out seven assists

The Horned Frogs were playing their first game in nine days. The rust showed as they turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 24 USC points.