USC mens tournament hopes are almost gone after | College News

There was no hiding the desperation any longer. Not with the clock ticking on USC’s slender tournament hopes. Not with three straight losses within the rearview mirror and solely 4 video games left within the common season.

The possibilities to state their postseason case have been dwindling fast in Eric Musselman’s first season as coach, slipping away amid a stiff Big Ten slate. The cut line for the convention tournament now loomed just under them within the standings.

Time was working out on the Trojans. Desmond Claude appeared to sense as a lot as he careened into the lane late Wednesday towards Ohio State, with USC having clawed its manner back from a staggering deficit to within putting distance.

As Claude fell towards the baseline and sunk a floater, a beautiful, comeback victory — and a late February turnaround — appeared within attain.

But with 28 seconds left, Claude introduced the ball up the court docket, solely to have it poked away. Just as rapidly as they’d appeared, the Trojans’ hopes of stemming the tide slipped away in an 87-82 defeat.

The loss — USC’s sixth in its final seven video games — left the Trojans at 14-14, their first time with out a profitable report beneath Musselman.

But the larger image was maybe more bleak. Any likelihood of USC making the NCAA tournament in all probability hinges on making a run within the Big Ten tournament. And as of Wednesday, the Trojans weren’t but formally invited to it.

Missing the convention tournament can be a significantly disappointing conclusion on the finish of Musselman’s first season, which at instances appeared to have promise. But that’s since pale.

Wesley Yates III did his best to keep that religion alive as he scored 27 factors to guide the Trojans (6-11 Big Ten).

Claude was saved almost solely in test. He’d hit simply a single shot from the sphere earlier than he got here knifing by way of the lane in transition with simply over 4 minutes remaining. His lay-in drew the Trojans to within a level.

But USC couldn’t capitalize, clinging on till the ultimate seconds, when Yates tried a three on the high of the important thing to tie. He missed it, and Saint Thomas pulled down the rebound, solely to step out of bounds.

Ohio State unleashed an offensive torrent from the opening tip, burying one three-pointer after one other within the face of a flustered Trojans protection that had given up 93 factors in its final outing.

It had no reply for the Buckeyes knocking down eight in a row from three-point vary to begin the sport. Through the primary quarter-hour, Ohio State missed simply three pictures (14 for 17) as USC struggled to string collectively stops.

The sport already was threatening to slide away when a livid Musselman known as a timeout with USC down 15. The Trojans had simply turned the ball over on three straight possessions. Ohio State was within the center of a 9-0 run.

USC was in a position to stem the tide briefly, just for Ohio State to return roaring back. It sank an eighth straight three-pointer. On the following possession, a unfastened ball careened off Yates and out of bounds.

His frustration boiling over, Musselman was known as for a technical foul.

Those emotions abated some within the second half, because the Trojans turned up their efforts on protection. USC held Ohio State to only 33% capturing within the half.

But the opening it dug was already too deep.