Game Recap: USC Trojans fire away from deep to drop Cal State-Northridge Matadors

Cal State-Northridge had no answer for the USC Trojans in a 35-point blowout loss Monday Night. USC took the win at home, 96-61.

Now 4-0, USC has still not been tested yet, having played all its games at home in the Galen Center and have averaged a 23-point margin of victory in those contests. This is the first time the Trojans start with four wins since the 2000 season.

Dunk after dunk, three after three, CSUN was pushed around physically and appeared slow while attempting to contest splashing 3-point shots from redshirt junior guard Katin Reinhardt.

Reinhardt finished with 17 points and was five of eight from 3-point land. Collectively as a team, USC shot 13 3-pointers, a season high. CSUN was off; it was only able to make a lone three the whole game out of 14 attempts.

The USC fast start went from the opening tip-off to final buzzer, including a crowd-roaring dunk from Julian Jacobs in the second half on his birthday.

Good play from USC continued with physical play. Shown with hustle rebounds, the Trojans finished with 57 total rebounds compared to the Matadors’ 23 total rebounds.

The highlight reel put on the Matadors continued in Los Angeles fashion as USC showed a "Showtime" magical bounce pass fast break, with a no-look pass to dunk.

The SC sophomore guard Jordan McLaughlin to Jacobs to freshman forward Bennie Boatwright highlight gave everyone in the arena a sense, this one was over early.

As the Trojan faithful like to call him, "J-MAC," McLaughlin hopes to keep the Trojan fan base cheering with laughs this season as he returns from labral repair surgery in both shoulders a year ago, missing the last eight games.

J-MAC shot an impressive 70 percent from the field matching his season average of 20 points and shot four of five from three point distance. The CSUN bench was out done 15-0 and as a team shot 33 percent from the field.

CSUN entered the 2015 season with a dismal 2014 season, going 9-24 finishing as the 8th seed into the Big West Tournament. The Matadors now move to 7-1 all-time against USC.

The lone spark of light for CSUN was freshman guard Jason Richardson who kept up to par with his double figure average with 18 points. Also improvement was seen from Nigerian senior forward Olalekan Ajayi who reached a new personal best 14 rebounds grabbing a double-double with 12 points.

CSUN for the rest of the season will keep it on the west coast, the furthest it will travel east is Idaho State University on Dec. 29. The Matadors play Loyola Marymount University on Wednesday.

USC goes east to play Wichita State University in the Orlando at the AdvoCare Invitational Tournament on Thanksgiving.