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Arizona State defeated USC basketball 83-82 on Sunday after a late game collapse by the Trojans. It was once again another tough loss but now USC basketball is moving on to their final two games of the regular season against the Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars. Both games are at home for the Trojans and both are starting to feel like must win games for USC.
The loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils was a costly one in terms of post season play. USA Today is projecting the Trojans to miss the tournament barring a deep run in the Pac-12 Conference tournament. ESPN projects the Trojans as an 11-seed. Like the USA Today CBS projects USC to miss the tournament as well. In short this loss to a mediocre ASU team puts the Trojans firmly in do or die mode the rest of the way.
USC vs. Arizona State highlights and recaps are below:
“An improbable, furious Arizona State comeback has added to the recent woes of the USC Trojans.
The Sun Devils rallied from six points down in the final 30 seconds to stun USC 83-82 on Sunday on Tra Holder's two free throws with 6.9 seconds to play.”
Men's Basketball: USC 82, ASU 83 - Highlights 2/26/17
“Boatwright led the Trojans with 22 points, but his critical turnovers ultimately fueled the ASU comeback. Missed free throws by Metu and Stewart in the final minutes didn’t help matters either.
A win would have put USC in a stable position as the season nears its end. Instead, the loss has put a serious dent in the Trojans’ NCAA tournament resume.”
Recap: Arizona State men's basketball uses late run in comeback win over USC
“The 12-1 run that would eventually win the game started with a pair of Oleka free throws, and the Maroon and Gold ultimately climbed within one after a front-end miss and a Justice three-pointer with 15 seconds left.
A turnover on the ensuing inbound pass landed in the hands of Torian Graham, who was then able to find Holder. The diminutive point guard worked his way into the paint, drawing a foul that led to the game-winning free throws.”
Arizona State Steals One From USC
“A back-and-forth contest which saw USC and Arizona State trade leads on 11 occasions ended in tragic fashion for the Trojans on Sunday.
A double-digit lead for USC with 3:57 remaining in regulation evaporated as Arizona State finished the game on a 12-1 run to defeat the Trojans, 83-82, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz.”
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“Chimezie Metu had 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for USC. He also sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer to give USC a 48-47 halftime lead, his first made 3 in three career attempts.
The Trojans broke open the game with a 12-1 second-half run, taking a 79-69 lead on Jonah Mathews' 3-pointer with 5:09 to play.”
Jerry Palm's Bracketology: Gonzaga still a no. 1 seed
“Trailing 82-76, Holder scored on a driving layup with 28.9 seconds to go. Elijah Stewart missed the front end of a one-and-one for USC and Kodi Justice followed with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 82-81 with 14 seconds left.
Bennie Boatwright threw away the inbound pass and Holder drove the lane and was fouled. He calmly sank both free throws and Boatwright's 3-point try bounced off the rim at the buzzer.”
“Still, the Sun Devils’ defense, the worst in the conference, didn’t offer much reason for optimism. Boatwright scored 22 points and point guard Jordan McLaughlin created 10 assists. Overall, USC shot 56%, its second consecutive contest when it made more than half of its shots in a loss.”
Fight On!