The USC Trojans men's basketball team once again climbed back into the rankings earlier this week and once against responded with a loss. USC has been dominant at home this season but they have been more pedestrian away from Galen Center.
Turnovers and poor shooting plagued the Trojans on Friday night helping Arizona State knock off USC 74-67. It was a frustrating loss, for the young team, but over the course of a long basketball season even the best tend to drop a few games that leave you scratching your head. Struggling outside of the Galen Center could be a major problem, however, come tournament time.
Here are highlights and recaps from the game.
From House of Sparky's Recap:
"Both teams also suffered from turnovers, seven for ASU and 11 for USC at half, but ASU made up for it with its scrappiness on the boards and with their ability to hold the Trojans to just 2-for-11 from the 3-point line.ASU had three times as many rebounds on the offensive glass, collecting four second-chance points on 11 points off turnovers.
The Sun Devils were hot from the line early, but this caused them to rely on the outside shot. ASU didn't hesitate to shoot from behind the arc, 15 attempts at half, while USC took advantage on the inside. With no single player yet in double figures, the Trojans' points in the paint (20) kept them in the game despite ASU's turnover advantage."
USC's Chimezie Metu flips it off the backboard for the dunk:
"Arizona State took the lead with a 10-2 run to start the second half and never trailed again.Blakes and Holder sank 3s in what turned out to be a decisive surge.
The Sun Devils stretched the lead to nine but the Trojans were down just 60-57 on Julian Jacobs' dunk with 4:58 to play. Arizona State responded with a 9-3 run, and when Holder banked in a 3-pointer with 1:49 to play, the Sun Devils led 69-60.
Both teams had their struggles. USC committed 17 turnovers, seven by Jacob, and Arizona State was 16 of 26 at the foul line.
The Trojans shot 58 percent to the Sun Devils' 33 percent in the first 20 minutes,"
FINAL: ASU 74, USC 67. The Trojans struggle in the desert and drop the first game of the weekend to ASU. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/hySqkFbvpP
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 13, 2016
Recap from the Ripsit Blog:
"USC looked very unlike itself in Tempe, shooting just 2-of-11 from the three-point line to ASU's 8-of-28, and scoring just nine points off the bench to ASU's 25. Despite an impressive double-double performance by Nikola Jovanovic (25 points, 15 rebounds), the Sun Devils outlasted the Trojans in what started as a low scoring, back-and-forth battle. The loss snapped USC's three-game win streak."
USC is back in action Sunday night at 5pm against the Arizona Wildcats on Fox Sports 1.