The full USC band is back preparing for the Rose Bowl and with the USC football team having just walked in, that fills up maybe half of the student seats.

Put that together with the regular USC fans who keep coming no matter who the Trojans play and it’s not a bad atmosphere here as the Highlanders open with four high-arching shots from the floor that either bounce or bank off the backboard in a gaining a 15-12 lead after 7:30.

Not a bad thought for UCR after getting the first two drives to the basket knocked back into their faces.