Andy Enfield speaks on USC's focus against Arizona State

USC coach Andy Enfield saw a different Trojans team Saturday against Arizona State. After dropping a game to Arizona earlier in the week, USC bounced back to hand the Sun Devils a 77-69 loss on the road.

Enfield highlighted an increased focus against the ASU as opposed to the loss to the Wildcats, especially on the defensive end. The Trojans held the Sun Devils to just 38.5% shooting overall and 22.7% from 3-point range in the win.

“We knew we had to win this game,” Enfield said. “We didn’t play well at Arizona. We’re a very good defensive team and I thought our defense wasn’t good enough against Arizona. We didn’t do what we needed to do. Tonight, it was very businesslike and they did what they had to do. They guarded. They made shots. The first 36 minutes was as good as we’ve played all season.”

USC jumped out to a 17-8 lead by the 13:57-mark in the first half. The Trojans continued to build from there, taking a 43-33 lead into halftime and opening the second half on a 7-0 run to increase the advantage even more. The lead grew as high as 24 points, but USC failed to score a point over the final 4:51 of the game, allowing the Sun Devils to make a late push.

Other than the final few minutes, however, Andy Enfield liked what he saw out of USC. In addition to the solid defensive play, the Trojans also had an efficient day of offense as it shot 49.1%. Guards Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson led the effort to finish with a combined 37 points on 7-of-16 from 3-point range.

With the win, USC improved to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in Pac-12 play, which ties it for third place in the conference along with Arizona and Arizona State. The Trojans have also now won three of their past four games.

They’ll face a big test in their next matchup, as they face No. 5 UCLA on Thursday. The Bruins won the previous contest this season 60-58, so revenge will certainly be on the Trojans’ minds as they prepare for the rematch.