Utah guard Deivon Smith, left, shoots as Southern California forward DJ Rodman defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press
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.