LOS ANGELES — Azoulas Tubelis scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and No. 8 Arizona ended USC’s 14-game home win streak with an 87-81 victory Thursday night.
It was the Wildcats’ first game since they were upset by rival Arizona State on an improbable half-court shot at the buzzer, 89-88. Arizona has not lost back-to-back games in the two seasons Tommy Lloyd has been its coach.
Arizona took control midway through the first half. After Reese Dixon-Waters hit from behind the arc to tie the game at 12-12 with 13:29 to play in the first half, Tubelis and Pelle Larsson sandwiched layups around Courtney Ramey’s second 3-pointer to open a 19-12 advantage. By the time Kerr Kriisa hit from behind the arc with 16 seconds left, the Wildcats held a 43-31 advantage.
USC’s Kobe Johnson picked up his third foul early and went to the bench for the final nine minutes of the half after scoring just two points. Dixon-Waters and Boogie Ellis scored 25 of USC’s 31 first-half points.
Arizona’s inside game with Tubelis and Oumar Ballo gave the Trojans trouble all night and the pair finished with 35 points and 15 rebounds, plus each had three assists, a steal and a blocked shot.
The Wildcats (25-5, 14-5 Pac-12) extended their lead to as many as 15 points midway through the second half, but Ellis poured in 16 points over the final nine minutes to…
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