USC vs. UCLA — as it happened
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Matthew Diederich / Daily Trojan
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Kai Assad & Bennett Christofferson from Galen Center; photos by Matthew Diederich
UCLA routs USC 89-68
Just a week after USC women’s basketball was blown out by crosstown rival UCLA at Galen Center, the Trojan men suffered the same fate Saturday night, falling 89-68 in their seventh straight loss to end the regular season.
The matchup started out fairly evenly, with both squads tied at 21 after 11 minutes, but the Bruins erupted on offense down the stretch to pull away. UCLA shot 58% overall and a blistering 59% from 3-point range, dwarfing USC’s respective marks of 43% and 29%. The Bruins were also far more effective on the glass, outrebounding the Trojans 37 to 26.
UCLA senior guard Donovan Dent terrorized USC for the second time in as many matchups this season, with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting, following up on his previous 30-point performance on Feb. 24. USC freshman guard Alijah Arenas held his own with his fourth 20-point game of the season, but he alone wasn’t enough to overcome a Bruin lineup that stayed hot from top to bottom all night.
Next, on Wednesday, the Trojans will play their first game of the Big Ten Tournament, where they will need to make a serious run if they have any hopes of still making the NCAA Tournament field.
We’re reporting live from Galen Center. Refresh to see new updates.
Further reading:
- The Trojans are coming off a brutal loss to Washington, in which they were outscored by 22 points in the second half.
- Sports editors from the Daily Bruin and Daily Trojan unanimously predicted a UCLA victory in today’s game.
- Head Coach Eric Musselman had no comment on Baker-Mazara’s exit, which has yet to receive any explanation from the program after nearly a week.
8:18 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
Double flagrant fouls are called on UCLA redshirt junior guard Jack Seidler and Ausar, the latter of whom picked up his fifth foul and will be forced to exit his final home game before the buzzer.
That’ll do it here at Galen Center. The Bruins take home an 89-68 victory, sending USC into the Big Ten Tournament on a seven-game losing streak.
8:15 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
Both teams emptied out their benches to an extent, allowing their respective seniors to soak up a few final seconds on the court. For a full Trojan student section, the Bruin crowd is immensely louder, as they rain expletives down after a few players get tangled up in a brief spat.
8:11 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
A Woods to Arenas lob gets the crowd metaphorically on their feet. It is then followed up by a missed layup by Woods and a foul on Arenas. In a microcosm of the season, USC will start something great, then turn around and shoot itself in the foot.
8:07 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
During the final media timeout, Trojan fans across the stadium are headed for the exits, as the once-packed student section is roughly half-empty. The Bruin faithful, in contrast, are standing loud and proud for their team that looks to essentially lock down an NCAA Tournament bid with a rout of its rivals.
8:04 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
The Trojans have hit 60 points. Unfortunately, the Bruins hit 60 about nine minutes ago. An emphatic dunk from Ausar to make the score 84-63 feels like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound, in not just this game but the entire season.
Naturally, Ausar followed up the highlight-reel moment with his fourth foul of the game.
8:01 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
The Bruins refuse to let up on defense one bit despite holding a 20-point lead, but they can’t stop Cofie from hitting a trey to reach 10 on the night. Three Trojans — Cofie, Ausar and Arenas — have reached double digits so far, but it does little to make up for defense that’s on track to give up close to 100 points.
Dailey Jr. drains a 3 to put the lead at 84-59, as UCLA has all but won this game with less than five minutes to play.
7:52 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
If the walls of Galen Center could talk, they’d be crying. If the Nebraska loss — where the Cornhuskers caught fire in the second half after a competitive first half from USC — was bad, this is so, so much worse.
UCLA is shooting 63%, which would be their best shooting performance the entire season, in part thanks to an absurd 56% percentage from beyond the arc. The second-half reemergence of Dent — who has 18 points on 8-for-9 shooting — along with 8 points from Dailey Jr. have put this game at 76-54, and more importantly, out of reach for the Trojans. To make matters worse, junior guard Jordan Marsh has accumulated four fouls and is one of three Trojans with at least three.
7:47 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
Welcome back, Donovan Dent.
The senior guard didn’t make much noise in the first half after exploding for 30 points in UCLA’s previous win over USC, but he is simply on fire in the second, making seven of his first eight shots to rack up 16 points — as many as any Trojan has all game. He does miss his free throw after being fouled on a bucket, but it doesn’t matter much; Bruins lead 72-50.
7:41 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
The Bruins made six straight shots to extend their lead to 67-44 as we head into the media timeout with under 12 minutes remaining. UCLA has not slowed down one bit on offense, shooting a blistering 77% so far in the second half.
7:37 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
A common issue with the Trojan offense in this game is passing up open 3-pointers. Woods just did so and lost the ball, leading to a Dailey Jr. jumper on the opposite end.
The deficit has stayed right around 15 for the last 20 minutes, and Woods getting called for his third foul of the game only adds insult to injury. A 3-point play from Dent makes it 60-42, the largest lead of the game — one that continually looks to be insurmountable.
7:32 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
USC calls its second timeout of the night to save Ausar from a Bruin double-team at the corner of the court. The UCLA defense hasn’t been quite as lockdown as it was in the squads’ previous matchup, when it held the Trojans to just 35% from the field, but it nevertheless remains a consistent issue for a USC team that needs to start picking up the pace to get back in this game.
USC could also use some more production from beyond the arc, where the Trojans are shooting just 33% compared to UCLA’s 50%.
7:28 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
After just four minutes, the second half already promises to be high on offense, with USC and UCLA combining to shoot 8-for-13 so far. Arenas has drained two 3-pointers after shooting just 3-for-9 in the first half, a trend the Trojans need to continue if they want to chip away at the Bruins’ 13-point lead.
USC could also use some more production from beyond the arc, where the Trojans are shooting just 33% compared to UCLA’s 50%.
7:25 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
The second half has commenced, and with it, a continuation of last half’s Bruin dominance. Junior guard Eric Dailey Jr. and senior guard Donovan Dent have poured in two buckets of their own, while Arenas and Ausar have both scored. However, Ausar also collected his third foul. UCLA remains up 53-40.
7:05 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
UCLA up big at halftime
For the first 10 minutes of the first half, it looked as though tonight’s affair was setting up to be an intense, tightly-contested battle between these two squads, with USC and UCLA tied at 21-all. However, the Bruins went on a massive run down the stretch to create some separation and hold a 45-30 lead as we head into halftime.
Arenas leads the Trojans with 7 points, though on an inefficient 3-for-9 clip. As a team, USC is shooting 43% — a far cry from UCLA’s 59% — and has struggled on the glass, with the Bruins grabbing nearly twice as many rebounds in the half.
On UCLA’s end, Bilodeau has been nothing short of dominant, racking up 16 points — more than twice as many as any other player — on 7-for-10 shooting. Bilodeau’s exploits have charged up a Bruin crowd that has greatly exceeded the Trojan faithful in excitement.
6:58 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
Woods was slow to get up after hard contact and limped over to the Trojans’ bench as officials called a timeout. The graduate guard has been fairly quiet on the court tonight, shooting 2-of-3 for just 4 points, but his defensive presence and explosive potential are something USC cannot afford to be without down the stretch.
6:53 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
The bloom of a deficit has fully blossomed into a 15-point difference between the Trojans and the Bruins. UCLA is shooting a striking 62% from the field, along with over double the 3-point percentage of USC — 56% to 25%.
6:49 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
The UCLA faithful are beginning to drown out the cardinal-clad majority, as the Bruins find themselves up 34-22 on a 13-1 run over the last few minutes to create some separation from the pack. USC has made just one of its last seven shots as its field-goal percentage on the night dips to 38%, including 30% from deep.
6:45 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
The biggest lead of the night has arrived, with the Bruins up 31-22 thanks to consecutive Bilodeau points in the paint — he’s up to 16 — and a fastbreak layup from redshirt freshman guard Eric Freeny. Even worse is that final Freeny bucket came off his own steal, and the Trojans are clearly feeling the heat, as they immediately called their first team timeout.
6:40 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
With under eight minutes remaining in the first quarter, UCLA holds a slight edge at 25-21, but this game has been about as even as it gets. The Bruins have shot 53% to the Trojans’ 50%, with near-identical numbers of rebounds and assists. USC has limited itself to just two turnovers so far, a welcome improvement over its 14 last time around, but UCLA has just one as well.
6:37 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
The USC defense has no answer for Bilodeau, who hits his fifth shot of the night to reach 12 points — three times as many as any other Bruin. Bilodeau is shooting 5-for-7 with two made threes on the game, while the rest of the roster is at just 4-for-10.
6:34 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
An airball from sophomore guard Trent Perry almost led to a shot-clock-beating 3-pointer near the logo for senior guard Skyy Clark. However, the call was reversed on further review after Clark failed to beat the shot clock, meaning it’s Trojan ball.
They do immediate good with it, as Woods scores a 2-point jumper to tie the game at 21-21.
6:27 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
Both squads are shooting well to start tonight’s matchup, with the Trojans slightly outpacing the Bruins at 50% to 46%. Six different USC players have made baskets already, with Easter II leading the pack at 5 points; on the other hand, most of UCLA’s production has come from Bilodeau, who already stands at 10 points.
6:24 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
Like the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the game has turned from an inside affair to primarily outside — outside the 3-point line, that is. Redshirt sophomore guard Brandon Williams kicked off the scoring with a jumper behind the arc to extend UCLA’s lead to three, with freshman guard Jerry Easter II responding back in kind. UCLA remains up 16-14 thanks to another three from Bilodeau.
6:20 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
Ausar is sticking to what he knows best: getting to the free-throw line. The senior forward leads the Big Ten with 7.6 attempts per game, and he sinks both of his first two tonight to tie the game 9-9.
6:18 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
The seas of cardinal and blue in the Galen Center stands are nearly equal in size, with each possession — whether it be a bucket or a miss — bringing a roaring crowd along with it.
After the Trojans started with an early 7-2 lead, UCLA has gone on a 7-0 run — including back-to-back makes for senior forward Tyler Bilodeau — to take the lead for the first time tonight as we enter the first media timeout.
6:15 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
The early game is being played inside. Aside from an Arenas 3-pointer, every single bucket has been made inside the restricted area. The Trojans have capitalized on multiple inside shots, with Woods finding the net to put them up 7-2, but an early personal foul called on him means that USC will need to be careful with its aggression.
6:11 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
A storybook moment already. Good ball movement leads to a Cofie dunk, and the Trojans take first blood.
6:10 p.m.
Kai Assad, Sports Editor
And off we go. Whether the Trojans walk away with a win to remedy the feelings of an end-of-season slip or the Bruins continue what seems to be an endless stream of momentum, it starts now.
6:05 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
Tonight’s starting lineup:
G Alijah Arenas
G Kam Woods
F Ezra Ausar
F Terrance Williams II
F Jacob Cofie
Williams II gets the start for the third time in five games, filling out the lineup in the absence of graduate guard Chad Baker-Mazara, who was reportedly dismissed from the team last week.
5:55 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
Prior to the game, USC honored its five graduating players for Senior Night: senior forward Ezra Ausar, graduate forward Terrance Williams II, graduate guard EJ Neal Jr., graduate guard Kam Woods and graduate forward Jaden Brownell.
5:50 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
In order to keep today’s game within reach, USC needs to do a better job of keeping control of the ball; the Trojans committed 14 turnovers in the previous rivalry matchup — on which the Bruins scored 15 points — and lead the Big Ten with 12.7 turnovers per game.
5:40 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
We’re about 20 minutes from tipoff here at Galen Center, where both USC and UCLA look to add a crucial win to their NCAA Tournament resumes — though one certainly needs it more than the other. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Bruins are projected as a No. 9 seed, meaning they would likely stay in the bracket even with a loss today; meanwhile, the Trojans are out of the projected field altogether and need a victory to simply get their names back in the conversation.
5:00 p.m.
Bennett Christofferson, Sports Editor
USC looks to salvage season in crosstown showdown
The past few weeks have not been kind to USC men’s basketball, which finds itself on a six-game losing streak that all but knocked the Trojans out of NCAA Tournament contention. USC desperately needs a win to keep its season alive, and there’s only one more opportunity before the start of the Big Ten Tournament: a rematch with crosstown rival UCLA.
In their previous meeting at Pauley Pavilion, the Bruins thrashed the Trojans 81-62 behind a 30-point outburst from senior guard Donovan Dent. Graduate guard Chad Baker-Mazara did all he could with 25 points of his own, but after USC announced Sunday that he was no longer with the program, the Trojans will need their other stars to step up to avoid a Bruin blowout.
A victory at Galen Center today would prove critical to USC’s postseason resume, as the Trojans have struggled against high-caliber competition and could use a win against a UCLA team seemingly headed to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins boast a pair of recent victories over top-ranked teams, including No. 11 Illinois and No. 9 Nebraska — both of which handled USC with ease in their respective matchups.
