The Trojans dropped the second game of their two-game Oregon road trip on Sunday, losing to Oregon State, 85-70. USC now possesses a 15-5 overall and 4-3 Pac-12 record.
An Unfriendly State
The Trojans' back-to-back Pacific Northwest losses follow a frustrating and familiar pattern for the program. Since 2009, USC is 1-13 in the state of Oregon, with its lone victory coming against Oregon in 2009. Despite leading, 40-36, at the half, the Trojans could not hold onto the lead on Sunday, giving up a 7-0 second half-opening run and allowing the Beavers to shoot 52.9 percent after halftime.
"It's difficult to win on the road in this league," said head coach Andy Enfield after the game. "The team we played the other night, they're undefeated at home, and this [Gill Coliseum] is a very tough place to play as well. So give our opponents credit. We had the lead at halftime so I don't think it was an effort thing...We just need to play better defense next week."
Four Beavers scored in double figures in a game that featured a fairly lopsided box score. USC turned the ball over 14 times, giving up 18 points off turnovers, and faltered down the stretch shooting just 26.9 percent in the second half. While it won't affect their in-state record, the Trojans will get another chance to play both Oregon schools in their final two games of the regular season at the Galen Center on March 2 and 5.
An Unsurprising Name
Much of the Beavers' success on Sunday can be attributed to a very familiar basketball name. Senior guard Gary Payton II, the Pac-12's third-leading scorer, finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in an all-around dominating performance. The son of the legendary NBA point guard by the same name ranks in the conference's Top 10 in rebounds and assists, and leads the Pac-12 in steals. Payton II orchestrated his team's winning second-half push as Oregon State outscored USC, 49-30, in the game's final 20 minutes.
An Untimely Drought
USC had its worst offensive outing of the season against Oregon State, shooting just 33.9 percent in the game to the Beavers' 47.1 percent. The team's struggles were not limited to just Sunday however, as the entire road trip featured a below average defensive effort and surprisingly poor three-point shooting on behalf of the Trojans. After leading the conference in three-point shooting heading into the weekend, USC made just 14-of-52 of its attempts in its games on Thursday and Sunday.
"It's surprising," Enfield said of his team's shooting slump. "We just didn't get it done from the perimeter. We shot a low percentage from the three-point line... For the most part we just missed open shots."
The Trojans return home this Thursday looking to get back on their feet in their first two home games in over two weeks. USC hosts Washington State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. PT and then faces Washington on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT.
Here are the highlights from Sunday's loss including several remarkable dunks by freshman Chimezie Metu...
