USC Basketball: Defense Helped Trojans Take Down Washington For Big Win

The Trojans earned a massive win over Washington this weekend.

It has been a struggle for most of the season for the USC Trojans basketball team. They entered the year with high expectations, but have seen those crumble to the ground. 

Different injuries and inconsistent play have doomed them, but the Trojans have continued to fight through it all. They have won three of their last five games, looking more like the team we all were expecting.

USC earned a big road win over the weekend against the Washington Huskies, helping them stay hot. They bounced back from a tough defeat to Washington State days before, so it was a nice morale boost for the Trojans.

The team used its defense to get the win, something they've struggled with for most of the year. It was a solid performance from USC and a game that they can take some lessons from.

"USC did not allow a point in the first five minutes of the game and allowed only a Johnson free throw in the first five minutes of the second half while building a 10-point lead. The Trojans gradually increased their lead and a Rodman putback gave them a 71-56 advantage with about 6 minutes to go before the Huskies rallied."

Per ESPN

USC clamped down on the Huskies to open the game, showing their capability on that end of the floor. It was a sight for sore eyes for this team but could be a running point for them over their final few games.

They have matchups against Arizona State and Arizona to close out the year. A win over highly-ranked Arizona would earn them some brownie points in the selection process. 

Unless the Trojans win out and then put up a good performance in the Pac-12 Tournament, they will likely miss out on the big dance. The inconsistency from the team all year has put them in a tough spot, but it's not over just yet.