Five most memorable USC v UCLA men’s basketball matchups

No. 21 men’s basketball will face off against their crosstown rivals No. 12 UCLA in a heavily contested match-up that will invoke Pac-12 conference implications and national standings. The two schools hold decades of tension, passion and grit within their bouts. Saturday evening’s encounter will be no different. 

Before the battle of Los Angeles at Galen Center this weekend, here’s a review of some memorable games between the two rivals. 

March 12, 2015:
Bruin Isaac Hamilton finishes season triple against USC in Pac-12 Quarterfinals.

Before the 2015 Pac-12 tournament encounter, UCLA had shown dominance against their rivals. Not only did the Bruins beat the Trojans in the two conference encounters beforehand, the Bruins clinched their sixth consecutive victory over USC.

UCLA sophomore guard Isaac Hamilton provided his career-high 36 points along with 4 assists, 2 steals on 7 of 9 shooting from beyond the arc and 13 of 17 from the field. The Bruins were deadly from the 3-point line, hitting 60% of their 3-pointers compared to the Trojans’ 36.4%. 

Former Bruin and current Los Angeles Clippers’ Norman Powell, contributed 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a game-high 3 steals en route to a 96-70 UCLA victory. The senior guard subsequently declared for the draft in the offseason and was later drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and played his first NBA season for the Toronto Raptors. 

March 13, 2009: 

DeMar DeRozan’s heroics lead USC’s semi-final victory en route to Pac-10 tournament. 

Despite losing their previous four rivalry matches, including two during the regular season, the Trojans had high hopes with their blooming star in freshman guard DeMar DeRozan. The stakes were extremely high, as both teams met on neutral ground at Staples Center vying for a spot in the
Pac-10 tournament final. 

Future NBA-star DeRozan provided an outpouring of 21 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals on 7 of 12 shooting from the field. Fellow future NBA peer and 2008-09 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Taj Gibson notched 134 points, 113 rebounds and 23 assists to help the Trojans to a 65-55 victory, etching their way to the Pac-10 tournament title game. 

The Trojans subsequently continued their form for the rest of the season, as they eventually beat Arizona State to clinch the Pac-10 Tournament title. 

February 28, 2019: Overtime heartbreak at Pauley Pavillion. 

After beating the Bruins at home for their first encounter in the 2018-19 Pac-12 season, the Trojans headed to Westwood with confidence, looking to finish the season double.

After trailing the first-half 38-41, the Trojans rose back after the break with a 44-41 second-half performance that tied the game and forced overtime. Despite heroics from senior forward Bennie Boatwright, who posted 25 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists on 7 of 17 shooting from beyond the arc, the Trojans fell short. A 3-point dagger from sophomore guard Jaylen Hands with 21 seconds left in overtime cemented UCLA’s victory over USC at Galen Center. 

Hands posted a double-double of his own with 21 points, 10 assists and 3 rebounds while going 7 of 17 from the field to lift the Bruins. 

February 25, 2004: Desmon Farmer hero in overtime win.

After successfully beating the Bruins in Westwood 76-69, the Trojans completed the double in an overtime thriller during senior Desmon Farmer’s last home game of his collegiate career. Farmer performed at a much-needed level to cement a victory and bolster his legacy at USC. 

Farmer posted 28 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds to lead the Trojans throughout regulation time and overtime. A Farmer 3-pointer and lay-up during the dying minutes of overtime added to Farmer’s 9 points in the period and proved to be sufficient, as the Trojans narrowly beat UCLA by a 78-77 scoreline. 

After years of playing in the NBA, NBA G-League and professional teams across Europe and Latin America, Farmer returned to USC and is now director of scouting for men’s basketball. 

March 6, 2021:
USC ties longest win streak against UCLA in nail-biter. 

USC’s recent victory over UCLA last March added to their current winning streak against their crosstown rivals, as they have now won four on the bounce. However, last year’s affair and scoreline hosted an intense and narrow victory for the Trojans. 

The Trojans started off poorly in the first half as they fell to a 25-36 deficit entering the break. Freshman forward Evan Mobley put up 13 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 6 of 10 from the field to offer a glimmer of hope to the away fans. Redshirt senior guard Tahj Eaddy ultimately provided the finishing touch, as he hit a corner three off of an inbound pass from sophomore guard Ethan Anderson to ice the game. 

The Trojans will look to replicate past games and continue their active win streak against UCLA Saturday at Galen Center.