University Southern California Trojans
Fans Vote 2020 Rivalry Game The Best Game in USC History
July 22, 2020 | Men's Basketball, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
We asked our followers on Twitter and Instagram to name the best game in USC history.
Here are the Top 10!
1. Jonah Mathews' Game-Winning 3 Lifts USC over UCLA (March 7, 2020)
Sure, there may be some recency bias here, but USC's last game is rightfully a fan favorite.
The 2019-20 season finale was a tight game highlighted by a few special moments.
Jonah Mathews came into his senior day needing four three-pointers to break USC's all-time record. The captain knocked a few down throughout the game, and with 6:23 left to go, he drained a triple from the top of the key to become USC's all-time leader.
Mathews' day only got better from there.
UCLA took a 52-51 lead on a pair of free throws with 9.0 seconds remaining. Senior Nick Rakocevic inbounded the ball to Mathews, who made his way down the court, drove to his left, stepped back beyond the three-point line and drilled the most important shot — and the last shot — of his USC career.
The crowd erupted as the Trojans earned a 54-52 win.
2. USC Upsets #7 Arizona in 4OT (January 9, 2016)
Most people didn't give USC a chance heading into this game, as the Trojans had lost six of their last seven against the Wildcats, and the visitors came to LA ranked No. 7 in the nation.
But USC put up a fight for 40 minutes and then some.
The Trojans led 45-37 at the break, but the Wildcats came back and tied the game with 31 seconds to go in regulation.
USC got out in front once again in overtime, but Arizona made it even to send things to a second overtime. The story went the same in 2OT and 3OT.
In 4OT, Arizona tied things up on a pair of free throws with 52 seconds to go. USC's Julian Jacobs missed a go-ahead shot, but the Trojans got the rebound and Arizona fouled Elijah Stewart, sending him to the free throw line with 23 seconds to go.
The sophomore coolly hit them both to cap off a 27-point night and give USC the 103-101 victory.
3. USC Beats Kentucky in Sweet 16 (March 22, 2001)
Just like fans who voted for the previous game will tell you, it's always fun to beat a blue blood.
Six-seed USC beat Oklahoma State and upset Boston College in the 2001 NCAA Tournament to land a spot in the Sweet 16 against two-seed Kentucky.
USC burst out of the gate to take a 43-24 lead into the break. The Cats came roaring back, but USC was able to manage an 80-76 win thanks largely to David Bluthenthal's 27-point performance.
Kentucky had won its last eight straight Sweet 16 appearances.
The win advanced USC to an Elite 8 matchup with Duke, who went on to win the tournament that season.
4. USC Beats Kevin Durant's Texas in NCAA Tourney (March 18, 2007)
In the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, fifth-seeded USC came up against fourth-seeded Texas and a young Kevin Durant, the stud freshman who would later be named Naismith Player of the Year.
Despite an expectedly impressive performance from Durant (30 points, 9 rebounds), the Trojans dominated the game. Junior Nick Young led USC with 22 points, while USC's own freshman phenom Taj Gibson poured in 17 points and 14 boards.
USC won 87-68 and advanced to the Sweet 16, where they fell to North Carolina.
5. Adam Spanich Plays Savior at Oregon (January 7, 1999)
Down by five with 2.8 seconds to go, a win seemed impossible.
But Adam Spanich and the Trojans, on the road in Eugene, refused to bow out.
After a timeout, Spanich got the ball off an inbounds pass and immediately drained a three. Oregon attempted a long inbounds pass on the ensuing play, hoping to run out the clock, but Spanich miraculously intercepted the ball at midcourt.
Spanich launched a shot just before the buzzer sounded and miraculously, it went in.
The announcers called it “The Play of the Century."
6. USC Comes Back to Beat ASU in Pac-10 Title Game (March 14, 2009)
USC's first Pac-10 Tournament title came in exciting comeback fashion.
The Trojans upset UCLA in the semis to make their way to the finals, where they had lost all three of their past trips.
USC came up against James Harden and Arizona State in the championship game.
The Trojans started slow and faced a 15-point deficit at halftime, but turned it on in the second half. A Dwight Lewis three-pointer cut the deficit to 1 point with 1:01 to go and Daniel Hackett hit a pair of free throws to give USC the lead with 42 seconds left.
Harden, who won Pac-10 Player of the Year that season, missed a free throw, a layup and a three in the last minute of the game.
In the end, USC fought its way back to a 66-63 victory.
DeMar DeRozan led the way with 25 points, while Hackett added 19.
7. USC's OT Comeback Win vs. Stanford (January 18, 2020)
This comeback was even more improbable than the last one on our list.
USC was down 20 at the half and down 21 early in the second half in a home game vs. Stanford, who was indefeated in league play thus far.
A passionate halftime speech from USC head coach Andy Enfield helped the Trojans lock in on defense, holding Stanford to only 24 second-half points.
Freshman Onyeka Okongwu made a layup with 11 seconds to go to cut USC's deficit to three points. After a timeout, Stanford attempted an inbounds pass, but Jonah Mathews intercepted it at midcourt and passed it to Elijah Weaver, who made a miraculous three with 7 seconds to go to force overtime.
It came down to free throws in overtime, and USC prevailed, 82-78.
USC moved into first place in the Pac-12 with a comeback win over Stanford. Peep the highlights! pic.twitter.com/9MsYI6yWNX
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) January 19, 2020
8. USC Tops #4 Ohio State Thanks to Miner Miracle (December 21, 1991)
Another overtime thriller makes the list.
No. 4 Ohio State came to the Sports Arena and USC took them down to the wire, tying things up 69-69 when Dwayne Cooper hit a three-pointer with 11 seconds left.
Overtime came down to the wire as well.
With 11.8 seconds left, and just one second on the shot clock, Cooper lobbed Miner an inbounds pass and Miner made the quick bucket to go up 79-77.
Ohio State guard Jim Jackson missed a jumper at the buzzer and USC got the win, bringing the 6,827 fans in the Sports Arena flooding onto the court.
9. First Four Comeback vs. Providence (March 15, 2017)
One year after falling to Providence in the first round of the NCAA Tourney, the Trojans exacted revenge.
The teams met again in the First Four round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, and the Friars looked like they'd win again.
The Trojans trailed by 17 points before finding their groove and rallying for the 75-71 win, the seventh-biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history.
USC erased Providence's big lead in just 14 minutes thanks to surges from Bennie Boatwright (who finished with 24 points), Jordan McLaughlin (who finished with 18) and Chimezie Metu (who added 15 points).
USC was no stranger to comebacks that season. The win over Providence was their 11th comeback from down double digits — more than any other school could claim.
In their next game, the Trojans came back from 12 down to upset SMU, 66-65.
10. Miner’s Iconic Dunk Rocks the Bruins (February 27, 1992)
It's fitting to start and end this list with wins over crosstown rival UCLA.
The 1992 meeting between rivals was a showcase for Harold Miner's talent.
Miner dropped 29 points and 13 rebounds on the Bruins, including “The Dunk.”
He got the ball near the top of the key, drove left, dribbled behind his back, then through his legs, before driving through the paint and taking off for a two-hand jam.
No. 13 USC knocked off No. 4 UCLA, 83-79.
