LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The Pacific men's basketball team, dominant in the first half, dropped a narrow 74-68 decision to nationally-ranked USC Tuesday evening at the Galen Center.
 
The Tigers (7-16) put together a dominant first half, taking control, and held an eight-point halftime lead over the 21st-ranked Trojans (20-4). Khaleb Wilson-Rouse had the shooting touch in the first 20 minutes of play, scoring a team-high 11 points. Wilson-Rouse, who shot 44.4 percent (four-for-nine) from the field, and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc, recorded a season-high five rebounds.
 
Alphonso Anderson also contributed to the successful first-half, scoring seven of the Tigers' first 12 points, propelling the team to a 12-8 lead in the early goings. Anderson finished the game scoring a game-high 22 points and was one rebound shy of his fourth double-double of the season. The senior from Tacoma, Wash., who scored his second 20-point performance of the season, is now leading the team in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game.
 
"Alphonso made the shots that I know he's capable of making," Head Coach Leonard Perry stated after the game about Anderson's performance. "He keeps fighting throughout the season, he's our leading rebounder, and his attitude is great … it's been a joy to coach him."
 
Pacific kept USC off-balance in the first half, creating challenging situations for the Trojans on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers held the Trojans to just 31.0 percent (nine-for-29) from the field and did not allow a three-point basket as the Trojans attempted seven long-range shots. The Trojans jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, but a 22-8 scoring run, capped by a Wilson-Rouse three-point basket, propelled the Tigers to their first 10-point lead of the game at the 9:28 mark of the half.
 
The Tigers continued to be a force throughout the rest of the first half and extended the lead. The Tigers pushed the lead to 12, 26-14, at the 6:10 mark before the Trojans rallied and cut the deficit to eight, 30-22, at the halftime break.
 
The Tigers opened the game up to start the second half, taking off on a 9-4 run in the first four minutes to gain a 39-26 lead. Jeremiah Bailey, who went scoreless in the first half, came alive in the second half and tallied eight impactful points to keep the Tigers in the game. With the Trojans storming back into the game and trailing 51-48 at the 8:48 mark, Bailey recovered after an Anderson turnover and kept the Trojans from gaining any more ground with a chase-down block on Ethan Anderson.
 
The Trojans outscored the Tigers 52-38 in the second half and pulled away late to earn the six-point victory.
 
Despite the loss, Pacific won multiple statistical categories, including time with the lead, as the Tigers held the lead for over 30 minutes of game time. The Tigers also outrebounded the Trojans, 38-29, while tallying nine offensive rebounds.
 
"I patted everyone on the head, and I told them how much I appreciate their effort," Perry stated regarding the message he gave to the team after the game. "I was disappointed with the outcome, but I was encouraged by their efforts."
 
Pacific returns to action Thursday, Feb. 10, as the Tigers travel to Spokane, Wash., to take on nationally-ranked Gonzaga for the first time this season. Tip-off at the McCarthey Athletic Center is scheduled for 6 p.m.