USC's Comeback Falls Short in First Loss of the Season to UConn

USC was riding a three-game win streak to start off the 2020 season when they faced a talented UConn team. The Trojans comeback attempt fell short in their first loss of the season 61-58.

After an impressive win in game one of the Roman Legends Classic, USC was unable to complete its comeback attempt against a talented UConn squad on Thursday night in Connecticut for the Trojans first loss of the season. Evan Mobley finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in the 61-58 loss to the Huskies.

USC had the last possession of the game, and had two three-point attempts, one by Noah Baumann with 12 seconds remaining and Mobley with six ticks left on the clock, but neither were able to convert, resulting in a UConn win. The Trojans only hit three shots from beyond the arc all night.

USC went on a 12-2 run midway through the second half after trailing by as many as 13 points to get back within three points with 4:06 remaining. The Trojans defensive intensity picked up in the second half, only allowing the Huskies to score 22 points in the final 20 minutes. The defense stiffened so much that UConn only hit six shots after halftime. The defense has been the strong part of Andy Enfield’s team early on in 2020.

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As for the offense, the Trojans struggled tonight from the field. It was the teams first game not shooting at least 50% from the floor, as they finished 19-for-53, shooting the ball at a 36% clip. The team totaled only four assists, which would explain why the star freshman Mobley was the only Trojan in double figures on the night. On the bright side, the Trojans only committed five turnovers and their free throw shooting, which the team has struggled with, was superb, going 17-of-21 from the charity stripe.

The Trojans were trailing 39-34 at halftime as UConn caught fire from three-point range early hitting 6-of-11 shots from beyond the arc in the first half. James Bouknight of UConn led the game in scoring with 18 points, but both offenses struggled. The Trojans got out-rebounded for the first time this year as well, losing that battle 42-to-31. This nullified second chance points for a USC offense that has thrived in that department. 

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Even with the loss, Enfield's team showed grit and fight to claw their way back into the game late, but unfortunately they couldn't hit the game-tying shot in the final seconds of regulation. USC will look to bounce back when they face Cal Irvine on Tuesday night at 8 PM.

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