The Trojans led the Cardinal by six at the half, but they could not hang on and fell to Stanford at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto. Â
Tale of Two Halves
USC jumped out to an early lead over Stanford but the first half was neck-and-neck as the momentum swung back and forth. The Trojans finished the first half on a 10-0 run to head into the locker room with a six-point lead. Guard Katin Reinhardt and point guard Jordan McLaughlin finished the first half with a combined 28 points sparking the Trojans first half finish. The second half saw more turnovers and poor decision-making with many Trojans in foul trouble down the stretch. Ultimately, USC could not finish what they started and head home from Northern California winless.Â
Fighting the Whistles
Many Trojans found themselves in foul trouble on Sunday which ultimately played to the Cardinal's favor. At the charity stripe, Stanford was 20-for-25 for the game, shooting 15-for-17 in the second half. Those free points hurt the Trojans down the stretch as Stanford knocked down its free throws late in the game to pull out another victory. USC on the other hand, didn't get as many opportunities finishing just 3-of-8 for the game and 2-of-3 in the second half. Stanford had a plus 13 free throw margin in the second half and won the half by 14 points.Â
Closing TimeÂ
Add Sunday's game against Stanford to USC's long list of games this season that came down to the wire but ended in a heartbreaking Trojan loss. Sunday's finish marks USC's eighth consecutive loss with five of those losses being determined in the final minutes. The Trojans will look for a little Valentine's Day love this week as they host Oregon and Oregon State on Wednesday and Saturday at the Galen Center.Â
