USC Begins Final Regular Season Road Trip At Utah Thursday

TONIGHT'S GAME - The USC Trojans (15-14, 8-8) will play at the Utah Utes (15-13, 9-7) at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah at 7 p.m. PT.

BREAKING DOWN UTAH - Utah is coming off a 71-63 loss at Colorado on March 2. The Utes defeated USC 77-70 at the Galen Center on Feb. 6. Utah is led in scoring by senior guard Sedrick Barefield who averages 16.8 points per game. Utah leads the all-time series 23-19.

USC FALLS IN OT AT UCLA - USC erased a nine-point second-half deficit to force overtime, but UCLA scored the first five points of the extra period and the Trojans fell 93-88 on Feb. 28 in Westwood, Calif. The game featured 12 ties and 15 lead changes and wasn't decided until Jaylen Hands' heave at the end of the shot clock from 25 feet swished through with 21 seconds left for a Bruins' 92-88 lead. Jonah Mathews missed a three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining and Jules Bernard made 1 of 2 free throws for the final score. Bennie Boatwright led the Trojans with 25 points and a career-high 15 rebounds and knocked in a three-pointer with 1:18 remaining to give USC an 82-80 lead in regulation. Chris Smith hit a jumper in the lane with 59 seconds remaining to tie the game at 82-all. Both teams missed a shot and USC had the ball for the final shot of regulation and Boatwright missed a contested three-pointer from straight away at the buzzer. USC took a USC-record 50 3-pointers, tying a season-high with 19 makes, 1-short of the school record. USC made 39.5 percent of its shots, while UCLA made 47.8 percent.

FLATLINING AT THE LINE - A game after not scoring from the free throw line for the first time in school history (0-for-6 vs. Oregon State on Feb. 23), USC went 1-for-7 at UCLA on Feb. 28 to match the previous school record for fewest makes and lowest free throw percentage in a game. USC was outscored 15-0 vs. Oregon State and 18-1 vs. UCLA from the free throw line, both five-point losses. USC is shooting 64.2 percent from the free throw line this season, 11th in the conference and 334 out of 351 schools.

COLORADO ON DECK - USC's next game will be at Colorado (16-11, 7-8) in Boulder, Colo. on March 9 at 2 p.m. PT to close out the regular season. Colorado defeated USC 69-65 at the Galen Center on Feb. 9 and leads the all-time series 10-7. USC has won its last two games at Colorado.

RAKOCEVIC HAS BEEN DOUBLE TROUBLE - USC forward Nick Rakocevic posted his conference-leading 13th double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds at California on Feb. 16. He also in one of two Pac-12 players with five games with 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds. He has scored at least 15 points in 16 games and has at least 8 rebounds in 21 games. Rakocevic is averaging 14.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He currently ranks among the Pac-12's top 10 in five categories: rebounds (3rd), blocked shots (6th), field goal percentage (9th), offensive rebounds (2nd) and defensive rebounds (4th), as well as ranking 11th in scoring.

RECORD-SETTING STRETCH - USC has won 86 games during the last four seasons (2016-19), the most wins in a four-year stretch in school history.

BENNIE AND THE NETS - Bennie Boatwright has made 26 three-point baskets in the last four games (26-for-46, 56.5 percent) and is 34-for-63 from three-point range (54.0 percent) the last seven games. He set the USC record for three-pointers in a game and tied the Pac-12 record with 10 (10 of 13) at California on Feb. 16. He became the fourth Pac-12 to make 10 in a game.

HART SELECTED FOR COLLEGIATE COACHING CONSORTIUM - USC Associate Head Coach Jason Hart has been selected to participate in the inaugural Collegiate Coaching Consortium, a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and AthleticDirctorU. This program was designed to help train and develop the next great group of leaders in the basketball coaching profession. The consortium will take place during the 2019 NABC Convention at the Hilton in Minneapolis, Minn. on April 7 and April 8.

DYNAMIC DUO FROM DEEP - USC's Bennie Boatwright (78) and Jonah Mathews (70) rank second and third respectively in three-point baskets made by Pac-12 players. Boatwright's 43.8 shooting percentage from beyond the arc ranks 20th in the country. Boatwright is tied for the 6th-most makes by a Trojan from three-point range in a season and Mathews is tied for 11th on the school single-season list. Boatwright is 15 made three-pointers away from tying the single season (93) and 14 away from tying the all-time three-pointers made (245) records by a Trojan.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS - With the five-point overtime loss at UCLA on Feb. 28, USC fell to 0-3 in overtime games and 1-6 in games decided by five points or less. USC's last four losses have been by a combined 17 points (4.25 ppg), including one in overtime.

DISTRIBUTING THE ROCK - USC has averaged 20.1 assists in its wins and 13.2 assists in its losses. USC leads Pac-12 teams with 487 assists. Derryck Thornton leads USC and is fourth in the conference with 131 assists. USC's 1.4 assist to turnover ratio is tops in the Pac-12 and 18th in the country. USC had 28 assists in the overtime loss at UCLA on Feb. 28 and is now 14-1 this season when it has 16 or more assists. USC ranks 15th in the country in assists per game (16.8).

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Players Mentioned

Bennie Boatwright

Jonah Mathews

Nick Rakocevic

Derryck Thornton