PALM DESERT — Jordan Ross scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting to help Saint Mary’s beat USC 71-36 in the Acrisure Classic on Thursday night.

Saint Mary’s (7-0), off to its best start since the Gaels tied the program record with nine straight wins to open the 2013-14 season, will play Arizona State-New Mexico in the championship game on Friday. The Trojans will play the loser in the consolation game.

Paulius Murauskas and Augustas Marciulionis each scored 11 points for the Gaels.

Jordan Coehn led USC (5-2) with 12 points.

Cohen scored in the lane to give USC a one-point lead with 7:32 left in the first half, but Ross hit a jumper 26 later to give the Gaels the lead for good and Ashton Hardaway hit a 3-pointer , before Cohen made a layup with 5:01 left, making it 23-21. The Trojans went 0 for 4 from the field and committed two turnovers as Saint Mary’s closed the half with a 9-0 run to take an 11-point lead into halftime.

Cohen scored from inside to cut the deficit to single digits about a minute into the second half, but Ross scored eight straight points for Saint Mary’s before Barrett made back-to-back baskets to cap a 12-2 run that ended at 15 The score was 44:25 minutes to play.

The Gaels outscored USC 39-15 in the second half. The Trojans made just 4 of 23 (17%) from the field after halftime.