USC basketball fumbles lead, suffers devastating loss to Oregon

A season of frustrating and unfortunate events for USC had led here, to this nightmarish, minute-by-minute crescendo on Saturday, in a must-win game.

During a rollercoaster afternoon, the Trojans had ridden one wave after another, riding several hot streaks and surviving the cold waves, knowing full well that their NCAA Tournament hopes rested on a victory against Oregon, one of the worst teams in the Big Ten.

All that stress seemed to ease as USC took a six-point lead with 70 seconds remaining. Any rational viewer would assume the Trojans had held on for good, knocking out the Ducks.

But then Oregon scored on a layup. He recovered the ball. And he scored three points.

USC coach Eric Musselman reacts after a play during the Trojans’ loss to Oregon on Saturday at the Galen Center.

(Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press)

USC clung to a one-point lead as freshman Alijah Arenas stepped back for a jumper that slammed. Kam Woods missed a tip. Then Oregon got the ball back and fouled.

Two free throws from Oregon’s Nate Bittle dealt USC an incredible final blow to their Saturday – and perhaps their season – handing the Trojans a devastating 71-70 loss.

Their hopes of making the NCAA tournament didn’t necessarily die on Saturday. The Trojans still have four games left to build their case before the Big Ten tournament. But two of them will face UCLA and another will face Nebraska, one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season.

USC had hoped Chad Baker-Mazara’s return from injury would help them earn a victory Saturday. Baker-Mazara led all scorers with 21, but he also fouled out late, on that final possession.

Arenas struggled for most of the afternoon, before scoring 11 goals in the second half. But it was his turnover in the final seconds that ultimately gave Oregon the victory.

Baker-Mazara hadn’t played since early February, and in back-to-back losses to Illinois and Ohio State, the Trojans undoubtedly missed his spark. Without a late game-winner at State College Arenas, they would have lost all three games played without Baker-Mazara.

Circumstances ultimately left USC in a must-win scenario Saturday, if it hoped to continue hanging on the edge of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Oregon, on the other hand, had spent most of the season in the cellar of the Big Ten. He entered Saturday morning with losses in 11 of his last 12 games.

There was no such urgency in Baker-Mazara upon his return. The sixth-year senior sang and danced throughout warmups, before opening the game on a stationary bike in the corner of the arena.

But upon his arrival, he brought the Trojans’ offense to life with 13 consecutive points.

The boost Baker-Mazara provided eventually ran out. USC made just three of its final 14 shots before halftime, and Oregon took the lead.

The Ducks did the same in the second half, albeit in a much more devastating fashion, leaving USC with a much tougher road ahead.