Written by Sarah Bergstrom and Caroline Deisley, USC blog contributors
The Trojans were unable to finish with a win against Arizona State despite a 10-point lead early in the second half.
For the complete recap and box score, click here.
Whiplash
Sunday night's game looked all too familiar to USC, as the Trojans failed to hold onto their lead and were outscored by the Sun Devils 14-3 in the final four and half minutes. This is the eighth game since the start of conference play in which USC has lost in the final minutes, a continually heart-breaking statistic for the young team. A large factor in the Trojans' loss was their number of fouls down the wire, making a potential victory especially challenging with such a thin bench.
Best Actor In A Supporting Role
Sophomore Kahlil Dukes' number was called early on Sunday with Jordan McLaughlin out due to injury and Katin Reinhardt and Chass Bryan out for a violation of team rules. The guard rose to the challenge, scoring a career-high 18 points in 29 minutes. Prior to Sunday's performance, Dukes averaged 1.2 points per game and scored 18 points collectively all season. Also stepping up to the plate for the Trojans was USC Student-Athlete of the Week Elijah Stewart who scored 11 points and had four blocks in the loss. The two guards provided the dynamic offensive threat necessary to give the Trojans the lead for most of the second half.
Best Ensemble in a Losing Effort
USC put forth a true team effort against Arizona State, with all eight Trojans who played in the game scoring at least twice. The team shot 45.5 percent from the field to ASU's 32.8 percent and boasted a 40.0 percent mark from beyond the arc. Nikola Jovanovic had six boards to go with Julian Jacobs' seven rebounds and eight assists. Despite the loss, head coach Andy Enfield emphasized how proud he is with the way the Trojans have continued to stay and fight together, learning from their losses. "They hate losing. They hate this feeling," he said, adding that his team has trust in the big picture of the program and a great attitude about the future.
Here are the SnappyTV highlights from Sunday's game...
University Southern California Trojans
Tuesday, July 28
Wednesday, July 22
Wednesday, July 22
Wednesday, July 22
