Usc Men Routed By Nebraska After Building Halftime Lead

With clip moving retired to prevention its star-crossed season, USC put itself successful position for a statement-making Saturday, only to spot that dream devolve into a nightmare successful an 82-67 loss to No. 12 Nebraska.

It was a painfully acquainted segment for nan Trojans, who person recovered caller ways to unravel aft halftime each season. This time, their full-on illness came astatine nan worst imaginable time, pinch their spot connected nan NCAA tourney bubble arsenic precarious arsenic ever.

Freshman Alijah Arenas yet led nan Trojans pinch 14 points, contempt being held retired of nan starting lineup for nan first clip since his return from injury. Sixth-year elder Chad Baker-Mazara came live successful nan first half pinch 14 points, but hardly played successful nan second.

Just 2 regular-season games stay for USC, some of which it tin sick spend to lose. The Trojans’ midweek matchup successful Seattle looms particularly large. A nonaccomplishment to nan Huskies, who are 14-15, would make climbing backmost from nan bubble brink particularly harrowing. Though, it was conscionable 2 months agone that Washington came backmost to hit USC astatine home.

Any dream of a comeback for nan Trojans connected Saturday had slipped distant by nan midpoint of nan 2nd half. By then, a dream commencement and 36-31 halftime lead, had settled into a nightmarish 2nd half for USC.

After shooting 52% from nan section successful nan first half, nan Trojans were abruptly incapable to find nan hoop successful nan second. For nan first 5 minutes of nan half, a dunk from Jacob Cofie was USC’s only basket. During different five-minute agelong successful nan 2nd half, USC couldn’t moreover negociate immoderate points fto unsocial a dunk.

Its defense followed suit, pinch Nebraska piling up points successful nan overgarment astatine will. Sixteen of their first 19 points successful nan 2nd half came via dunk aliases lay-in.

By nan clip nan Trojans yet recovered their footing, Nebraska was already good retired successful front, connected its measurement to a comeback win.

For USC, it was an particularly bitter pill to swallow, considering really good things had started.

With each plaything from USC’s discourtesy early, Nebraska seemed to person a counterpunch. A chase-down artifact for nan Trojans turned into a three-pointer for nan Cornhuskers. A turnover turned into a USC breakaway, which led to different Nebraska three-pointer.

Still, nan Trojans looked fresh for a conflict successful nan opening Saturday. They fired retired into nan lead down different outburst from Baker-Mazara and mostly without Arenas, who has struggled complete his past 3 games. The freshman played 9 quiet minutes successful nan first half.

When Nebraska starting constituent defender Sam Hoiberg drew a 2nd foul that sent him to nan chair midway done nan half, USC took advantage, forcing six turnovers successful 5 minutes from a Cornhuskers discourtesy that abruptly looked retired of sorts.

A four-point shortage midway done nan first half turned into a five-point Trojan lead by halftime, pinch USC looking primed for a statement-making afternoon.

But it took a matter of minutes for Nebraska to erase that momentum. Not agelong aft that, nan Trojans were leaving nan tribunal successful acquainted disappointment, their tourney hopes arsenic tentative arsenic ever.