No Elite Eight Repeat: USC Edged Out of March Madness in Stunning Loss to Miami
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — After a season of slugfests, the setup felt almost second nature by now. A miserable start giving way to a furious comeback. A brutal struggle leading to stunning salvation.
The same stunning plan seemed to be unfolding as USC’s Drew Peterson knocked down one three-pointer, then another, dragging the seventh-seeded Trojans back from the depths. A six-point lead was erased in just 30 seconds, as USC seemed ready again to conjure the magic that made its last March run so special.
But a questionable foul call would give Miami the lead back with three seconds. Peterson took a few steps inside of half-court, then lifted off, launching one last deep prayer after a season of answered ones.
It hit the backboard, then the front of the rim, before it fell to the court, leaving No. 7 USC with a heartbreaking 68-66 defeat to No. 10 seed Miami that it’ll likely carry with it all offseason.
USC had plenty of chances in spite of itself. It opened the game in a horrific slump and turned the ball over 17 times. Still, as Peterson’s prayer soared through the air, the Trojans had a chance.
It had one thanks to 17 points from Peterson and a gutsy performance from freshman Reese Dixon-Waters, who fought through a painful groin strain to score 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half.
It was difficult to dream up a more nightmarish start for USC’s offense, which struggled over the two weeks leading up the tournament. Unable to exploit its advantage inside, USC struggled to find any semblance of rhythm early, opening the game with a three-minute scoreless stretch.
On defense, USC periodically lost its focus, allowing Miami guard Isaiah Wong to score the Hurricanes’ first 13 points. It clanked open jumpers, shooting just two of 12 in the game’s first eight minutes. It threw errant passes, at one point turning the ball over on four straight possessions.
The turnover issues were all too familiar for a team that had given the ball away at a frustrating clip over the season’s final stretch. By halftime, the Trojans already had 12 turnovers, a symptom of an offense that was completely out of sorts.
Andy Enfield reacts to a referee’s call during the second half against Miami. (Brynn Anderson / AP)
But as USC returned from the locker room, down 11, a completely different team appeared to have taken its place.
The Trojans flew out to a 17-2 run, matching their entire first-half output in the first eight minutes of the second.
After missing all six of his shots before the half, Isaiah Mobley came out ready to prove a point, scoring eight points in the first three minutes of the second. Dixon-Waters followed with his own blazing run, pouring in 12 points over the next seven minutes.
What seemed initially like it might turn into a Miami runaway instead came down to one last prayer. It was the Hurricanes, however, that got the answer they hoped for.
latimes.com
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USC was one victim of nine upsets in the first round. Being a 7 and losing to a 10 is not as bad as a 2 losing to a 15! Whew, Kentucky that has to hurt. I will be curious to see how Auburn looks against Miami tomorrow. Superior talent, size and strength will expose Miami.
Too bad turnover-infected USC faded out so badly to end the season. Unfortunately, it’s common. USC has gone one and done in the tournament in ’60, ’82, ’85, ’91, ’97, ’02, ’08, ’11, ’16, and ’22. But at least USC made the tourney this year, when often we don’t. It seems like so many times this season, USC habitually drew up the exact blueprint for this quick first-round exit to a lower-seeded team. Thankfully, Reese Dixon-Waters came through with 16 points to keep the game close. Lots of questions seem to surround USC’s flawed but record-setting team going forward, which… Read more »
The turnovers at this stage of the season. How come. Enfield knows about them, how does he correct it. To late now. Get some shooters Andy, then teach some discipline about ball control.
As a coach how do you measure your teams mental-physical approach and control it to where it doesn’t peak too soon then drop off? The team seemed to be struggling at the end of the season not able to put it all together any longer in sloppy-less energy play. I’m not putting all this on the coaches. The players have just as much responsibility to get themselves back to a groove by working harder and play smarter. They know better than anyone their play has dropped off. This team would have beaten Miami a month ago.
Jamaica, Totally agree. This has been the Enfield MO. Teams peaks in late January or early Feb and then fade in late Feb and early March. There have been two exceptions: last year and the year before. The year before was Covid, so there was neither Pac 12 Tournament nor March Madness. So far, Enfield has had three teams make March Madness, one went to the Elite 8 and the other two were one and done. As Allen has pointed out, our expectations for SC BB should be totally different than SC Football. SC should shoot to be a Sweet… Read more »