WASHINGTON — Quade Green danced with the ball in the middle of the floor while rocking a USC defender off balance and creating just enough space to pull up for a midrange jumper or launch a driving teardrop layup.
It was another one of those singular, superlative nights for the diminutive senior point guard, who finished with a sensational scoring performance while carrying a listless Washington men’s basketball team that was overmatched and outclassed during a 69-54 defeat against USC on Thursday night at Alaska Airlines Arena.
For the first time in 11 games, the Huskies held an opponent to fewer than 70 points.
However, Washington’s offense continually misfired with the exception of Green who finished with 16 points and Jamal Bey who added 10. No other UW player scored in double figures.
Washington (3-15, 2-11 Pac-12) lost its fourth straight game and is tied with California for the fewest conference wins in the league.
Heading into Thursday’s game, UW coach Mike Hopkins conceded USC was a bad matchup for Washington because of the Trojans’ big front line led by All-American candidate Evan Mobley. In their first matchup, the Trojans trounced UW 95-68 on Jan. 14 at the Galen Center.
However, Hopkins said: “We believe we have the game plan to beat them.”
The margin of the defeat was much closer this time, but the Huskies gave the Trojans a battle for about 16 minutes.
In the first half, Green sank 7 of 9 shots for 14 points and Bey drained a driving layup that put Washington ahead 27-23 with 5:49 remaining in the first half.
And then, Washington’s offense turned as frigid as the freezing temperatures outside Alaska Airlines Arena.
The Huskies were outscored 18-4 while USC began to use its superior size and athleticism on the front line to take control of the game.
Isaiah Mobley flushed a dunk in traffic over 7-foot-4 reserve center Riley Sorn before his younger brother Evan converted an alley-oop dunk in traffic.
Washington trailed 41-31 at halftime.
In the second half, the Huskies were intent on shoring up an interior defense that was out-rebounded 24-9 and outscored 30-12 in the paint in the first half and, in part, the strategy worked.
Washington surrendered just 16 points in the paint and trailed 17-15 in the rebounding battle.
However, the Huskies fell behind by 15 points (56-41) with 9:24 remaining and never got closer than (10) points the rest of the way.
Evan Mobley scored 17 points, Isaiah Mobley had 12 points and 12 rebounds, Chevez Goodwin 11 points and Tahh Eaddy 10 for USC (16-3, 10-2).
Washington hosts UCLA at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
