Cofie’s 23 leads USC past Cal Poly 94–64 in season opener

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sophomore forward Jacob Cofie scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead USC to a 94-64 season-opening win over Cal Poly on Monday night.

Cofie went 9 of 12 from the field, hit his only 3-point attempt and was 4 of 4 at the line. Both Ezra Ausar and Rodney Rice scored 21 points, and Auburn-transfer Chad Baker-Mazara had 12 points and seven boards despite a 2 of 10 night from the floor.

After leading 37-31 at halftime, USC broke the game open with a 17-4 run fueled by Cofie’s inside play and Rice’s shooting. The Trojans outscored Cal Poly 57-33 after the break, forced 22 turnovers and finished with 11 blocks and 24 assists.

Peter Bandelj led Cal Poly with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Hamad Mousa and Guzman Vasilic each scored 12. The Mustangs shot 33.3% from the field and 27.3% from the 3-point line (9 of 33) while making 7 of 12 free throws.

USC’s largest lead reached 31 points near the end of the second half.

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