Trojans are unable to hang with Arizona


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The USC men’s basketball team (10-16, 2-12 Pac-12) ended its win streak at one, as the Trojans lost to the Arizona Wildcats (23-3, 11-2 Pac-12) on Thursday, Feb. 19 by a score of 87-57.

The Wildcats outplayed the Trojans throughout the entire game, led by freshman forward and Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate Stanley Johnson, who had a well-rounded game with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

For USC, freshman guard Elijah Stewart played with a lot of energy and was productive on the defensive end with a pair of blocks, while sophomore guard Julian Jacobs proved once again why he is the captain of the team. Even in a losing effort, Jacobs played with abandon, as he drove to the hoop and was the vocal leader on the court. Jacobs finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Freshman forward Malik Martin led the team in scoring with 15 points, and he even made a shot from behind the arc.

Johnson led the charge in the second half as the Wildcats secured the win, but he was joined by a balanced roster. Sophomore forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and senior guard T.J. McConnell contributed to the victory. Hollis-Jefferson had 12 points and seven rebounds, while McConnell added 10 points and seven assists.

The Trojans came out of the gate making it look like a competitive game, but shortly thereafter, the Wildcats proved why they are a top 10 team in the nation. In the first half alone, the Wildcats had 13 assists on 19 made baskets, and they outrebounded USC 21-12. Arizona was sparked by junior center Kaleb Tarczewski, who scored 13 points in the first half and had a pair of thunderous dunks to get the crowd going and lead his team to an 18-point lead at the half. He finished the game with 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Arizona crowd was pumped up the entire night, as the university honored alum Jason Terry by retiring his jersey. Terry played for the Wildcats from 1995-1999 and holds the record for the most steals in program history with 245. The current Wildcats honored the NBA champion by performing the “jet” celebration after every made 3-pointer. Terry became the fifth Wildcat to have his jersey hung in the rafters of the McKale Center.

The Trojans will stay in the desert for the weekend, as they next take on the Arizona State Sun Devils (14-12, 6-7). This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. Arizona State is led by head coach Herb Sendek, leading scorer junior guard Gerry Blakes and leading rebounder sophomore forward Savon Goodman.

Arizona State is coming off a close victory over the UCLA Bruins (16-11, 8-6), and they currently sit at eighth in the conference standings. The game will tip off at 5:30 pm on Feb. 22 at the Wells-Fargo Arena.