Peterson sparks Southern Cal to 59-57 victory over Vermont
LOS ANGELES -- — Drew Peterson scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half and Southern Cal rallied to beat Vermont 59-57 on Tuesday night.
Peterson made just 1 of 7 shots in the first half and the Trojans (2-1) trailed 27-22 at intermission. But the senior came out after the break and hit 5 of 7 shots from the floor, all five of his free throws and took over down the stretch.
Peterson's layup tied the game at 30 with 13:44 left to play. From there the lead changed hands nine times until Peterson sank four straight free throws to give the Trojans a 46-44 lead with 4:43 remaining.
Vermont (1-3) tied the game at 49 on a 3-pointer by Nick Fiorillo with 3:01 left, but Peterson answered with a layup and a three-point play and the Trojans stayed in front.
Peterson added eight rebounds and eight of USC's 10 assists. Reese Dixon-Waters had 13 points, while Boogie Ellis scored 10.
Finn Sullivan sank three 3-pointers and scored 17 to lead the Catamounts. He added six rebounds, three assists and blocked two shots. Dylan Penn scored 11.
USC beat Vermont 64-56 in December of 2014 in the only other meeting between the schools.
USC is coming off a program record-tying 26-win season. USC's 73 wins over the last three seasons is two better than any previous three-year run.
This was the third game of an eight-game road trip for Vermont. The Catamounts will travel more than 8,400 miles this month.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Larry Spaulding
- Kurt Walker
- Nate Harris
2024-25 America East Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant | 4-0 | - | 10-9 |
| Maine | 4-1 | 0.5 | 12-8 |
| Vermont | 3-1 | 1 | 10-9 |
| UMass Lowell | 2-2 | 2 | 13-6 |
| UAlbany | 2-3 | 2.5 | 10-10 |
| New Hampshire | 2-3 | 2.5 | 4-16 |
| UMBC | 1-3 | 3 | 9-10 |
| NJIT | 1-3 | 3 | 4-15 |
| Binghamton | 1-4 | 3.5 | 9-11 |
2024-25 Big Ten Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 7-0 | - | 16-2 |
| Michigan | 6-1 | 1 | 14-4 |
| Purdue | 7-2 | 1 | 15-5 |
| Oregon | 5-3 | 2.5 | 16-3 |
| Wisconsin | 5-3 | 2.5 | 15-4 |
| Indiana | 5-3 | 2.5 | 14-5 |
| Illinois | 5-3 | 2.5 | 13-5 |
| Maryland | 4-4 | 3.5 | 14-5 |
| UCLA | 4-4 | 3.5 | 13-6 |
| USC | 3-4 | 4 | 11-7 |
| Penn State | 3-5 | 4.5 | 13-6 |
| Iowa | 3-5 | 4.5 | 12-7 |
| Ohio State | 3-5 | 4.5 | 11-8 |
| Rutgers | 3-5 | 4.5 | 10-9 |
| Nebraska | 2-5 | 5 | 12-6 |
| Northwestern | 2-5 | 5 | 11-7 |
| Minnesota | 2-6 | 5.5 | 10-9 |
| Washington | 1-7 | 6.5 | 10-9 |
Men's College Basketball News