The Trojans rallied in the second half but ultimately fell to the Black Knights in overtime snapping USC's four-game win streak.
Hot Flashes
The Trojans had plenty of opportunities where it looked like they were running away with the game in the second half. They started out on a 14-0 run before the Black Knights finally got a basket with 15 minutes remaining in the game. "We can't just take off in spurts because other teams can also go on runs and teams can get comfortable especially shooting the ball," said USC guard Katin Reinhardt. The Black Knights usually live or die by the three-pointer but tonight, the Trojans held them to just 7/32 from beyond the arc. The difference in the game was the fact that USC didn't make the shots when they needed to put the game away. The Black Knights kept shooting despite their off-night and eventually, they began to fall which led to an Army victory.
Down to the Wire
The Trojans left 13 points at the free throw line missing a majority of them when it came down to the wire at the end of the game. Freshman Jordan McLaughlin led the Trojans with a career-high 24 points but his shot selection at the end of the game was a little questionable. "You have to have confidence and you have to be able to perform under pressure," said head coach Andy Enflied regarding his team's free throw shooting. "It has nothing to do with their technique. They have to step up to the line and make shots. I'm not going to make excuses for them."
The Buck Stops Here
The Trojans were carrying a four-game win streak headed into Saturday's game but the Black Knights put an end to that with an impressive comeback win. The Trojans face two more non-conference opponents in Boston College and Vermont to close out 2014 before starting conference play in the new year. "As it's getting closer and closer to conference season, teams are going to know what we do and we're going to know what they do but it comes down to who is playing hard. We have to do a better job of that," said Reinhardt.
