Fresh off what seemed to be a turning point in the USC men’s basketball season, during which they had finally found a rhythm in back-to-back big wins, the Trojans couldn’t extend their run against a nationally ranked opponent.
What initially looked like a complete rout by No. 24 Wisconsin turned into a gritty display of fight and determination. After opening the game disjointed and unfocused, the Trojans chipped away at a double-digit deficit and coming close before their rally was ultimately thwarted.
USC (11-7, 3-4 Big Ten) fell 84-69 to Wisconsin (15-3, 5-2) at the Galen Center on Saturday afternoon.
After being down at halftime by 15 points, USC was able to cut the lead to three points halfway through the second half, in large part due to Wesley Yates III and Rashaun Agee.
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Saint Thomas, who played 40 minutes, finished as USC’s leading scorer with 19 points. Agee added 15 points on six of 11 shooting.
The opening half against Wisconsin was a complete role reversal from the Trojans’ recent matchup against Iowa, during which they seemed to have found their rhythm as a unit. On Saturday, however, the Trojans trailed 42-27 at halftime.
A combination of turnovers, bad shot selection and missed free throws helped create the halftime deficit.
A 10-point run midway through the first half left the Trojans scoreless for five minutes, fueling the Badgers’ momentum. Wisconsin capitalized with a mix of outside shooting — going seven for 15 on three-pointers — and near-perfect free-throw efficiency, hitting seven of eight (87.5%).
The Badgers, who entered the game leading the nation in free-throw percentage, had the Trojans playing catch-up for the rest of the half as USC struggled to find an offensive rhythm.
Yates, coming off a career-high 21-point performance, led the Trojans with seven points heading into the locker room. However, he struggled early against the Badgers, going one for four from the free-throw line despite being an 86% shooter from the stripe this season.
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Trojan Desmond Claude — the Big Ten’s leading scorer in conference play, averaging 22 points per game — was held scoreless in the first half. He finished with just nine points.
The Trojans started the second half with renewed energy, hitting seven of their first 10 shots from the field to trim a 15-point deficit to eight — 53-45.
A rejuvenated offense led by Claude, who opened the half with five quick points, and Thomas, who sank a three-pointer and mid-ange jumper to cut the lead to single digits, ignited an eruption from the crowd.
But the Trojans were overpowered by the Badgers’ ability to get to the line, finishing 13 of 15 (86.7%), and efficient shooting, hitting 31 of 55 (56.4%) shots.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
