For much of their showdown with UCLA in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament Sunday afternoon, the USC Trojans looked in control. USC women’s basketball led by as many as 13, and was up double digits more than halfway through the third quarter.
After that, however, things changed. Plain and simple, USC just stopped making shots. Any shots, whatsoever.
From the 2:18 mark of the third quarter until 1:13 left in the fourth, the Trojans did not make a single field goal. They missed 13 in a row during that stretch, going more than a quarter of action without scoring from the field. UCLA capitalized on the other end during that stretch, turning a seven-point deficit into a six point lead.
By the time USC found their groove again, it was too late. The Trojans fell 72-67 to their crosstown foes, as USC’s Big Ten Tournament title slipped away right beneath their eyes.
All is not lost for the Women of Troy. USC won the regular season conference title, and will almost certainly still be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But the Trojans will need to shoot the ball much better than they did Sunday if they want to avoid a premature March exit.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC offense withers away as Trojans lose Big Ten Tournament to UCLA
