The USC men’s basketball team (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten) fell at home in a thriller against the UCLA Bruins (15-6, 6-4), 82-76, coming within 1 point in the second half after trailing the entire game. The Trojans were lively on both offense and defense but missed multiple vital free throws under pressure. 

The dramatic game marked another disappointing defeat for Head Coach Eric Musselman’s team, now 4-5 in the Big Ten. USC, now 12-8 in all competitions, needs all the wins it can get.

“We played super hard. But close doesn’t count, playing hard doesn’t count. It’s nice, but the objective is to try to win the game,” said Musselman in a post-match press conference.

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Momentum was the name of the game, with UCLA markedly controlling it for most of the game. 

First, it was early-half Trojan turnovers that led to a steady 5-point UCLA lead after 20 minutes. Then, coming right off the break, the Bruins scored 7 unanswered points. The run was defined by sophomore center Aday Mara’s defensive contributions. The big man had two blocks, two rebounds and drew a foul, finishing the run off with a layup in the paint. 

The Bruins, leading by 11, continued to cruise to the net and their lead remained sizable until the eleventh minute of the second half, when graduate forward Rashaun Agee scored a layup off a fast break, bringing his total to 16 points in the game. 

The momentum then shifted, culminating in an over-under layup by redshirt freshman guard Wesley Yates III. Suddenly, the Trojans were only 2 points away from tying the game. Yates III made a free throw, cutting the lead to one, but missed another to tie the game. 

USC had an opportunity to tie or take the lead after UCLA fouled again on the other side, with senior forward Saint Thomas stepping up to the line. Thomas, however, missed both shots. Mara then secured the rebound, and sophomore guard Sebastian Mack made a contested 3 with four seconds left on the shot clock. 

Again, a two-possession game, the momentum shifted for good, and the Trojans eventually lost by 6 at home. 

“I thought that [UCLA Head Coach Mick Cronin] did a great job and exposed us with the height,” said Musselman. “We rely on some guys to score for us, and it didn’t happen tonight.”

Notable on both sides was free throw shooting, with the Bruins going 80.0% from the line, including a perfect first half with 9 free throws made. The Trojans, however, were a completely different story from the line, shooting 57.9% on free throws overall. An especially low point came with both Yates III and Thomas missing crucial game-tying free throws for USC. 

“We [have to] play better at home. I’ll tell them the same thing I tell you guys. We missed crucial free throws,” said Musselman. “Our late game free throw shooting is a huge problem.”

On the Bruins’ side, smaller guards starred in an offense focused on ball movement and feeding their large center in Mara for easy baskets. Mack and junior guard Dylan Andrews both shot well, with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Mara also put up 12 points of his own, with a few reach-up dunks neatly slotted home. 

Senior guard Kobe Johnson, who transferred from USC to UCLA, also put up 7 points before fouling out late in the second half. Johnson, a Trojan for three seasons from 2021 to 2024, was met with deafening boos from the crowd. 

Defensively, the biggest story of the night was UCLA’s discipline. USC shot for just 19 free throws compared to the Bruins’ 25. UCLA fouled 21 times against Wisconsin (16-4, 6-3) and 23 times against Rutgers (10-10, 3-6), with just 18 against USC. 

“I’m shocked and surprised that we only took 19 free throws,” said Musselman. “That’s a huge surprise in the game from our perspective, but we didn’t make them.”

Mara acted as a defensive standout, grabbing a tremendous 11 rebounds and recording five blocks, utilizing his height against a markedly smaller Trojan offense. 

However, as the battle of the centers go, Agee had quite a game for the Trojans, going for a season-high 21 points, grabbing five rebounds and drawing eight fouls along the way. Agee has developed slowly over the season, but the center has been irreplaceable for a Musselman offense that needs strong players inside the paint. 

“Having a new coach, things aren’t just going to click right away. Having a new team, things aren’t going to click right away,” said Agee in a post-match press conference. “[There are always] different chains of lineups and different players that come along. And I’m one of the players, thank God.”

Also notable was Yates III, who scored 19 points, along with one rebound and one assist. The freshman put up similar numbers against Nebraska in the Trojans’ previous game, with 17 points and four steals. However, Yates III, who missed a game-tying free throw in the second half, took no consolation for his otherwise effective offensive production. 

“We’re going to the gym tonight,” said Yates III in a post-match press conference. 

For an all-new program like Musselman’s, rivalry games like this one against UCLA can carry quite a lot of weight, with fan belief in a program riding on these important results. USC does not take on UCLA again until March 8, the last game of the regular season. Up next for the Trojans is No. 7 Michigan State at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Galen Center in yet another Big Ten battle.