AUBURN, Ala. – A dominant performance by Auburn served as a reminder that neither USC nor Bronny James are a finished product.
Aden Holloway scored 15 points with six assists and Jaylin Williams had 14 points to help Auburn beat USC 91-75 on Sunday as the Trojans' James continued to work his way back to form after suffering cardiac arrest in July.
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The Tigers (8-2) controlled the game most of the way in the first road appearance for James in a packed Auburn Arena with dozens of NBA scouts watching. The Trojans (5-5) dropped their third straight game.
“He’s improved, but it’s a little unfair to him to be judging him every possession right now,” Trojans coach Andy Enfield said. “He’s come back and he gave us good minutes. He plays very hard.
“He’s just a freshman and he’s been out five months. It’s very, very challenging for him but we anticipate he’ll be a much better player by the middle of the season than he is now.”
Bronny James, who remains on restricted minutes just two games into his comeback, didn’t speak to reporters after the game.
The son of NBA superstar LeBron James, Bronny James scored five points in 14 minutes, making 3 of 4 free throws late. He couldn't corral the ball on an alley-oop chance in the final two minutes, prompting a chant of “overrated.” But Auburn fans mostly didn't react to his presence on the court.
Auburn had five scorers in double figures. Denver Jones had 12 points while Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell each had 11.
Boogie Ellis led USC with 22 points. Isaiah Collier and Oziyah Sellers each had 13. Collier fouled out.
Holloway, himself a highly recruited freshman guard, figured it had to be a challenge for James to get back into rhythm on the court.
“I was just happy to be able to see him out on the court and playing again,” Holloway said. “It’s always good to just play and do what you love to do. Being able to compete out there is the best thing, really."
James had made his college debut at home a week earlier in an overtime loss to Long Beach State with his father on hand. LeBron James, whose Los Angeles Lakers host the New York Knicks on Monday night, wasn’t in Auburn Arena for this one.
Bronny James' mother, Savannah, watched from right behind the USC bench.
James entered the game with 16:28 left to a moderate buzz from the fans and played mostly short stints, but he wasn't able to spark a rally. In fact, the Trojans were outscored by 17 with him on the court in the first half and trailed 49-35 at halftime.
James suffered cardiac arrest during a workout at Galen Center. He was found to have a congenital heart defect that was treatable.
BIG PICTURE
USC started a four-game road stretch. The Trojans have lost three consecutive regular-season games for the first time since losing to Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State from Feb. 1-8, 2020.
Auburn has won 49 consecutive home nonconference games and is creeping closer to the Top 25.
UP NEXT
USC: Visits Alabama State on Tuesday night.
Auburn: Hosts Alabama State on Friday night.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball