Out of the Park: Finding a remedy in my favorite USC sports moments of the last year

In the days before students were displaced from USC’s campus due to the threat of coronavirus, I attended a USC basketball game, a Los Angeles Wildcats game and a Los Angeles Kings game. At each of these events, the impact of coronavirus seemed far away — I didn’t see a single person wearing a protective mask.

I never would have guessed that just three days later, my time covering basketball in Las Vegas would be cut short as the NCAA canceled the Pac-12 Tournament on March 12.

Now that it’s been a month since that fateful day in Vegas, I’ve been doing some reminiscing on some of the craziest, most memorable games I’ve attended since coming to USC in August 2018.

Here are a few of those.

Men’s basketball vs. UCLA

March 7, 2020

It was nearly impossible to pick just one game from a 2019-20 men’s basketball season that included so many nail biters. After the Trojans made a nearly impossible comeback to defeat Stanford in overtime Jan. 17, I tweeted that it was “the craziest game I’ve covered hands down.” That title stood until I witnessed USC’s final game of the season against UCLA.

The stakes were high — UCLA entered with a seven-game win streak, but USC needed a victory to boost its chances of securing a higher seed in March Madness. The game was tight throughout, but it looked like the Bruins had the final word as they led the Trojans 52-51 with nine seconds left on the clock.

In front of the sold-out crowd in his last game at Galen Center, senior guard Jonah Mathews nailed a stepback 3-pointer with only one second remaining to seal the Trojans’ victory. The team was so excited about the basket that they nearly forgot to defend UCLA’s final shot, and the cheering from the home crowd left my ears ringing.

The Trojans didn’t know at the time that it would be their last game of the season, but Mathews couldn’t have picked a better way to go out. It was a storybook ending that USC men’s basketball fans are unlikely to forget anytime soon.

Women’s basketball vs. UCLA 

Jan. 17, 2020

UCLA entered the game undefeated and sat at No. 7 in the nation. USC entered the game 0-5 in Pac-12 play. Although it looked to be a lopsided matchup, I figured a rivalry battle in front of packed student sections from both schools could lead to a close game. That being said, I definitely did not expect that the Trojans would scrape by the Bruins in double overtime.

USC rose to the challenge, ending the first half with a 12-0 run to lead UCLA by 13 going into the third quarter. I was in the student section, and while we were all excited about the apparent upset in progress, some of my peers who are less interested in sports wanted to leave the game early because it was turning into a blowout.

I convinced them to stay for the second half, and boy, I’m glad I did.

The game heated up in the third quarter as UCLA outscored USC 24-13, narrowing the Trojans’ once-commanding lead to just 2 points. The back-and-forth battle in the fourth quarter and beyond was electric on and off the court, as the USC student section tried to help the Trojans regain their momentum by outcheering UCLA’s spirit squad.

It looked like the Trojans would emerge victorious after the first overtime, but a buzzer-beater from UCLA redshirt junior guard Natalie Chou sent the game into double overtime.

USC finally came away with the hard-fought win — its first Pac-12 victory of the year — and I’ll never forget the joy of a young team which had just proved it could contend with anyone.

Football vs. Arizona State

Nov. 9, 2019

There was a lot of sighing going on in the press box this past football season, especially as USC’s defense failed to hold up when it mattered time and time again. As the Trojans surged to a 28-7 lead over Arizona State in the first quarter, no one could have guessed that this lead would nearly evaporate by the end of the game.

In the first quarter, freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis shattered the school record for passing yards in a quarter with 297. He also added four passing touchdowns, including a 95-yard connection with sophomore receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Trojans looked like a new team after getting annihilated by Oregon at home the previous weekend.

But it seemed all of this was too good to be true. A 62-yard touchdown by ASU kickstarted the Sun Devils’ momentum in the second quarter. We shook our heads in disbelief as the Trojans failed to capitalize on a forced fumble and again on an interception. And as if it couldn’t get any worse, Slovis left the game with a calf cramp in the third quarter, so the Trojans were depending on redshirt junior Matt Fink to take the snaps until the freshman returned in the fourth.

It looked as though the Sun Devils could put the game away as they drove past midfield with under a minute left. But sighs of despair turned to sighs of relief from Trojan fans in the press box as redshirt senior defensive lineman Christian Rector came away with a diving interception to secure a 31-26 victory and, just barely, the Trojans’ bowl eligibility. This game will certainly be remembered for its roller-coaster ride of highs and lows.

Women’s water polo vs. UCLA

April 20, 2019

I’ll be honest, as fun as the women’s water polo team is to watch, you can usually expect USC to destroy its opponents. That’s why I look forward to the crosstown rivalry games with UCLA so much. Although I was a bit irritable after navigating public transportation to Westwood for the first time, it was difficult not to smile at the outcome of this game.

The 2019 Trojan squad was littered with new and old stars, including two Cutino Award finalists in then-senior goalie Amanda Longan and then-sophomore driver Paige Hauschild. Longan ended the game with 12 huge saves, while Hauschild put up a clutch 4-goal performance.

It looked like USC would handily put away yet another opponent as it carried a 9-5 lead heading into the final frame. However, UCLA wasn’t done yet — the Bruins scored 3 unanswered goals to put USC on edge for an exciting last few minutes.

Spieker Aquatics Center was packed, and the UCLA-dominated crowd did everything in its power to push its team toward an equalizer. But the Trojans held on to secure a 9-8 victory and earn the No. 2 seed in the 2019 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament.

Despite my disappointment in the abrupt ending to USC’s spring sports, I find comfort in reminiscing on these memorable moments. Reflecting on some of USC’s craziest contests in recent years has me even more excited for the return of NCAA competition, whenever that may be.

Amanda Sturges is a sophomore writing about the impact of sports. She is also a features editor for the Daily Trojan. Her column, “Out of the Park,” typically runs every other Tuesday.