The men’s basketball team saw its season come to a heartbreaking end in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Crown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday. The Trojans fell 60-59 to Villanova in a back-and-forth matchup, which ultimately came down to the final possessions.

The game began with USC (17-18, 7-13 Big Ten) struggling to find its offensive rhythm. Graduate forward Rashaun Agee got the Trojans on the board with a good layup, followed by senior forward Saint Thomas with two jump shots for a 6-0 run.

Villanova (21-15, 11-9 Big East), however, responded quickly, as graduate forward Eric Dixon tied the game, setting the tone for a first half that would feature six ties.

“I can’t give enough credit to that group of guys defensively. Saint was really good offensively, really good on the defensive backboards,” said Head Coach Eric Musselman in a postgame press conference. “We’re down two starters and two rotation guys … I thought the two games here were an incredible effort.”

As the first half wound down, the Trojans tightened their defense, holding Villanova without a point for over five minutes. A key three-pointer from junior guard Desmond Claude and a transition dunk from freshman forward Jalen Shelley helped USC take a 31-27 lead into halftime.

The second half opened with USC extending its lead to 9 points after Thomas came up with a jump shot, followed by a quick three-pointer. But Villanova refused to go away. The Wildcats responded with a 7-0 run, fueled by Dixon’s relentless scoring.

Dixon, who finished with a game-high 28 points, took over in the second half, scoring 24 of his points after halftime, including three crucial three-pointers that kept Villanova within reach every time USC threatened to pull away.

With less than six minutes remaining, the game was tied at 51, setting the stage for a tense finish. Agee continued to be a force inside for the Trojans, muscling his way to the rim for tough finishes, but Villanova’s defense tightened in key moments, forcing USC into contested shots.

The Wildcats’ ability to capitalize on USC’s mistakes — particularly turnovers — proved pivotal. The Trojans committed nine turnovers in the game, several of which came in critical moments down the stretch.

The final minutes were a microcosm of the entire game — a back-and-forth battle with neither team able to secure a decisive advantage. With under a minute to play, Dixon drew a foul and sank a free throw to put Villanova up 60-59. USC had one last chance to win it, but Claude’s driving layup in the final seconds rimmed out, sealing the Wildcats’ narrow victory. The Trojans were left to rue missed opportunities, particularly at the free-throw line, where they shot just 3-5 in the second half.

Villanova advanced into the semifinals on Dixon’s timely shot-making. The graduate forward carried the Wildcats when they needed him most, and his ability to stretch the floor with his three-point shooting kept USC’s defense guessing.

“We were supposed to stay down on the pump fake, then obviously at the last point of the game it was off of a pump fake,” Musselman said. “[Dixon is] Villanova’s all-time leading scorer for a reason … Take Dixon off their team, and see what the final score is.”

For USC, the loss marked the end of a season that had its share of ups and downs. The Trojans showed flashes of potential, but inconsistency and struggles in close games ultimately defined their year. Still, there were bright spots, most notably the emergence of Thomas as a go-to scorer and leader.

His 23-point, 13-rebound performance against Villanova was his first double-double of the season, and he became the first Trojan this year to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists in a single game. Agee also continued to impress, turning in another strong performance with 22 points and seven rebounds, further solidifying his role as a key piece for the future.

“In the Big Ten tournament and then here, we probably played our best basketball by far,” Musselman said. “Not a lot of teams have a starter out basically the entire conference play, so we had some great moments, we had some okay moments and we had some moments of disappointment. So, onto next year now.”