Trojans fail to come back against Oregon


The No. 21 USC men’s basketball team could not overcome a double-digit second-half deficit as they fell 89-81 on the road in Oregon to the Ducks Thursday night.

USC came into the game riding an impressive 15-3 record and their first appearance in the national poll since 2008.

They were able to rest up following an eight-day break after dominating UCLA, but it did not seem to pay off with many fouls, turnovers and a 3-point shooting percentage of under 29 percent. Oregon continues its strong season, improving to 4-2 in the Pac-12 and tying the Trojans for second in the Pac-12.

Neither team could put together a run as the second half began, with the Men of Troy unable to close the gap and the Ducks unable to pull away.

Oregon jumped out to another nine-point lead at the 13:56 mark of the second half following a Chimeze Metu offensive foul and a Katin Reinhardt turnover. After a USC timeout, Oregon went on a 7-1 run to extend its lead to 71-56.

The Trojans were unable to mount a strong comeback in the second half but continued keeping it just close enough to keep everyone interested. Julian Jacobs’ two free throws with just under seven minutes left, followed by standout freshman Bennie Boatwright scoring two of his 23 points cut the lead down to eight at 74-66. Their effort was not enough, though, with the Trojans unable to make key shots and defend down the stretch and ended up taking an 8-point defeat.

Jordan McLaughlin has been a key player this year but had a disappointing game with just three points on one-of-five shooting. Boatwright had another great game, with 12 rebounds to go with his 23 points. Jacobs also performed well, scoring 18 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists.

The overall team effort was not there in the end, with late turnovers, fouls and a couple of goaltending calls costing them dearly. It was a stark contrast to the start of the game, as the Trojans started out hot but could not maintain the pace.

USC jumped out to a quick 10-4 lead after threes by Katin Reinhardt and standout freshman Bennie Boatwright. The exciting start continued for both teams, with 20 points being scored in under three minutes to begin the game. Oregon battled back to even the game at 12 after a couple of USC misses. The teams traded baskets until the score was still locked up at 21, when Elijah Stewart broke the tie with an emphatic dunk.

The Trojans controlled the game until Oregon took its first lead of the game at 27-26 with a dunk at just under the nine-minute mark in the first half, to which the Men of Troy countered with a Boatwright jumper.

Oregon heated up shooting, and, coupled with several USC misses took a 36-30 lead before coach Andy Enfield called a timeout. USC responded quickly with a three-pointer by McLaughlin and a dunk by junior Jacobs. Oregon jumped out to a 9-point lead thanks to 3-pointers by forward Dwayne Benjamin. USC was able to get a few points back and headed to the locker room at halftime, down 46-41.

USC looks to rebound when they travel down the road to play Oregon State this Sunday at noon. The Beavers were one of the Trojans’ three conference wins last year, so this much improved team will look to repeat that success.

Oregon State has been disappointing with a 2-4 record so far in conference play, but boasts a strong 9-2 non-conference record, so it will not be an easy matchup. They are led by Gary Payton II — son of former Seattle Supersonic Gary Payton — who is averaging 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game.

USC will look to finish even on the road trip before coming back to Galen Center next week to play Washington State and Washington. The Trojans still have 12 conference games remaining, and while they will likely lose their spot in the Top 25 with the loss on Thursday, they have plenty of opportunities to climb back up the rankings.