3 takeaways from Utah’s loss at USC
LOS ANGELES — Utah and USC met at the Galen Center on Thursday night in a matchup of two teams in dire need of a victory.
The visiting Runnin’ Utes were the ones who saw their struggles continue, as Utah lost 68-64 to the Trojans for their third straight loss and fifth in six games.
Key takeaways
Stymied at the end: Utah had a shot to tie it after a missed front-end of a 1-and-1 situation, but Deivon Smith had his shot blocked with six seconds left and USC got a dunk in transition to seal it. This came after Utah briefly took a 51-49 lead on a 10-2 lead, only to miss 12 of its next 13 shots before rallying within a single score in the final minute.
Shooting: Utah was outshot 40.6% to 36.7% from the field, and it was worse from 3-point range. It was not a good shooting night for either team beyond the arc — the Utes finished 4 of 21 from 3-point range, while the Trojans were 5 of 25. Isaiah Collier had 15 points to lead USC, while Smith had 19 to pace Utah.
Second-chance points and turnovers: Utah held a 39-34 rebounding edge — including 11-10 on the offensive glass — but the Utes lost the second-chance points battle 14-4. Utah also had 13 turnovers (to eight for USC), including one from Keba Keita with 17 seconds left in a two-point game that forced Utah to foul when it could have tied the game or taken the lead.
What’s next?
The Utes (15-10, 6-8 Pac-12) will stay in the Los Angeles area for a Sunday matchup at UCLA (5 p.m. MST, FS1).
The Bruins held off Colorado on Thursday night for their sixth straight win and eighth in their past nine contests.