James Bouknight led the Huskies with 18 points and seven rebounds to help UConn grind out a 61-58 victory over USC on Thursday inside Mohegan Sun's “Bubbleville.”

Tyrese Martin added 11 points with seven rebounds, while Isaiah Whaley finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and five blocks for the Huskies (3-0). Josh Carlton came off the bench to deliver an impressive nine points and 11 rebounds.

“If you’re going to be playing in March, you have to win games like this,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said.

Star freshman Evan Mobley was the lone Trojan (3-1) who scored in double figures with 17 points to go with seven rebounds and four blocks.

Bouknight scored 13 points in the first half - opening the game 3-for-3 on 3-pointers - and UConn led 39-34 at the break.

Both teams struggled to score down the stretch of the second half with Bouknight producing UConn’s last points on a three-point play to make it 61-55 with 4:04 left. The Huskies took just two shots the rest of the way and finished shooting 26.9 percent (7-for-26) in the latter half. In fact, Bouknight’s points were the Huskies' only points in the final 8:27.

USC’s last basket came on Mobley’s layup with 3:42 left. He added a foul shot with 1:22 remaining.

The Trojans missed three shots in the final 11 seconds - one stopped by a Whaley block - before R.J. Cole ended the game with a rebound.

WATCH MORE POST-GAME INTERVIEWS INCLUDING JOSH CARLTON AND JAMES BOUKNIGHT IN OUR FORUM!

WHAT WENT WELL

Undefeated: One of the toughest things to do when you take over a struggling program is beat out the losing mindset. The Huskies turned the tide at the end of last season with five straight wins, and that’s carried over with three straight to start this COVID-adjusted campaign. That winners’ mindset was huge in a tight game like this when things didn’t always go right, especially on offense.

Head coach Dan Hurley: “I just think this time of year, number one, it helps we won eight straight, the last five last year to end the season and the first three this year. We have a number of players back who have gotten used to winning again recently.”

James Bouknight: “At the end of last year we were playing great and we were winning a lot of games toward the end of the year. We brought back a lot of key players, and the recipe we had for winning last year we just brought it over.”

Whaley delivers: What more can you say about Isaiah Whaley? The flame kicked on last season and he just keeps it burning at both ends. Dunks, blocks, defense, hustle plays - Whaley does a little bit of it all and the Huskies fed off that. He was a big part of a group effort with Carlton and freshman Adamo Sanogo that helped guard Mobley, too.

Bouknight: “I think this week we did a great job with our preparation in practice and Isaiah gave us the lift. He was out there rebounding for us, he was defending and he was talking to us - he brought all the energy today and we all fed off of him. And he pulled through and helped us get the win.”

Hurley: “Isaiah (Whaley) is such an underrated player. I'm not sure I've coached many guys with as much will."

Carlton Unleashed: The Huskies have done well stocking young talent for the frontcourt but needed their veteran big man to stand tall. After barely seeing the floor in the first two games, Carlton got his chance and made the most of it. He used the first half to showcase what he could do with eight points and seven rebounds, and was a beast on the offensive glass (six of the team’s 15 rebounds).

Josh Carlton: “I’m just staying prepared and being ready to do whatever I can to help my team. Bring that same intensity we had in practice to the court.”

Bouknight: “I talked to Josh after the (Hartford) game and he wasn’t happy that he wasn’t playing - I’m going to say it just like that. He got his chance today and he turned up. He was a dog out there. He fought for his minutes, he played a big game and he was a big-time factor in helping us win.”

Hurley: “We don’t win that game today without Josh.”

WHAT NEEDS WORK

Missing Offense: For the second straight game, the Huskies struggled on offense for a large chunk and had to rely on other things to pull them through. The two-week layoff can factor into the team’s struggles, but with this talent level, the Huskies shouldn't have droughts like this one. UConn managed one basket (1 of 11 shooting) and three points in the final 8:27 - not exactly the way teams want to close games.

Hurley: “We are a work in progress offensively. Seeing a zone of that length today caused us a lot of problems. I thought we had a pretty good offensive rhythm in the first half. … Listen, success for us this time of year until we are more comfortable offensive, you have to win with your defense. You have to win with your toughness and grit and your togetherness.”

MISC. NOTES

- This was the first time UConn and USC faced-off in a men's college basketball game

- UConn changed up its starting lineup with Martin, Cole, and Sanogo making their first starts of the season

- USC played without point guard Ethan Anderson (back).

UP NEXT

Saturday at 12 p.m. vs. North Carolina State, at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville (ESPNU)