For most of Monday night, USC played exactly like a team with 13 new players.
Coach Eric Musselman’s preseason concerns about the Trojans’ offense likely were not abated after USC struggled in the first half of its season opener against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at Galen Center.
Cal Poly, a mid-major coming off a 16-19 season, wouldn’t let USC run away with the game, with the Trojans clinging to a six-point lead at halftime.
But then sophomore forward Jacob Cofie — one of 10 transfer portal additions — came alive in the second half, notching a 23-point double-double as the Trojans pulled away for a comfortable 94-64 win.
Cofie finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks and Ezra Ausar added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. Rodney Rice had 21 points and eight assists for the Trojans.
Virginia transfer Cofie had just four points in the first half as Rice and Jaden Brownell led the charge during a first half the Trojans seemed to sleepwalk through at times.
Despite forcing 10 Mustang turnovers in the first half, USC only scored eight points off of them. This was exacerbated early on when Cal Poly turned it over five times within the first three minutes, but the Trojans only made one of their first six attempts (16.7%) from the field in the opening minutes.
The offense appeared to wake up when Brownell and Jerry Easter II got two fast-break layups off of two more Cal Poly turnovers. Brownell drained a three on the next possession, and Cofie dunked to cap off the run and give the Trojans their first double-digit lead of the game.
But USC would go cold again in the final stretch of the half, going the final four minutes without scoring until Rice hit a mid-range jumper from the elbow with 34 seconds left.
Cofie immediately set the tone in the second half with a steal, offensive rebound and tip-in dunk to start the scoring within the first 30 seconds. He finished the game making each of his final four shots, finishing things off by slamming one more down with 41 seconds left.
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