Written by Sarah Bergstrom, USC blog contributor
The Agony of Defeat
The Trojans ended up on the wrong side of the annual thrills that accompany the NCAA Tournament, as they watched their season end on Rodney Bullock's buzzer-beating layup at PNC Arena. Despite leading the Friars by seven with just over seven and a half minutes remaining in the game, USC stuttered down the stretch, giving up an 8-0 run, turning the ball over three times, missing three layups and failing to capitalize on four separate opportunities at the free throw line. While the Trojans outshot the Friars, 53.8 to 40.3 percent in the game, Providence scored a combined 27 points off of turnovers and second chance buckets to USC's two. There were a handful of opportunities to put the game away and advance to the Round of 32, but ultimately the Trojans finished the game with a two minute stretch that lacked composure, a frustrating ending for a team that made enormous strides this past season.
"I'm just extremely hurt. We had the game in our hands and we let it go. It sucks because we had control of the game up until the last minute and we just looked really uncomfortable," said junior point guard Julian Jacobs. "We should have won that game. We had every opportunity to seal the deal, we just didn't."
Expensive Free Throws
Locked in a back-and-forth battle that endured from tip-off to the final whistle, it soon became apparent that the victor of Thursday night's eight/nine-seed matchup would be determined at the free throw line. While USC finished with more rebounds and steals than Providence and shot better than the Friars from both beyond the arc and the field, the Trojans could not execute when given free opportunities to clinch a convincing lead. The Trojans were 5-of-11 from the free throw line in the second half including two crucial misses by Elijah Stewart and Julian Jacobs on one-and-ones in the final 30 seconds of the game. Providence, on the other hand, was a perfect 6-of-6 from the stripe to close out the game, enough to earn the one-point victory and advance to the next round.
Good Night, Not Goodbye
The devastating loss will certainly linger with the team in the coming weeks and months that fill the offseason, but there's no reason to despair. All but one member of this year's Trojan team is expected to return in 2016-17, an incredibly encouraging sign for a group that made the biggest turnaround of any Power 5 basketball program this season. Led by Jacobs and soon-to-be junior point guard Jordan McLaughlin, who led USC with 15 points on Thursday, as well as soon-to-be senior Nikola Jovanovic, USC will enter the next season with even more experience and an even stronger sense of chemistry. A clear challenger in the talented Pac-12 Conference this season, the Trojans are looking to be true contenders one year from now, a goal that head coach Andy Enfield believes will drive his team back to the Tournament.
"I'm sure they'll be thinking about this in the offseason," said Enfield after the game. "We're trying to build a program, build on this success, and I think this experience for our players will propel them to improve in the offseason and come back next year and want to be back here. There's nothing like experience at the NCAA Tournament to help you down the road."
Here are the SnappyTV highlights, including the thrilling final minute, of USC's NCAA Tournament loss...
