Instant Analysis: Tigers can’t rally late, fall at USC
The first game of Auburn’s west coast swing got off to a shaky start in Los Angeles.
The home-standing USC Trojans tied the game at 49-49 with 10:31 remaining in the game on a free throw by Joshua Morgan. The success of the free throw erased Auburn’s five-point halftime deficit and would be enough to grab the lead for good.
Despite keeping it within six points the rest of the way, Auburn could not come away with the win, falling to the Trojans at Galen Center, 74-71.
Auburn had a chance to take the win in the final ten seconds, as K.D. Johnson was fouled twice, and cut the Trojan lead to 71-69. Following a USC trip to the line, Johnson was fouled again just inside the perimeter, which eliminated Auburn’s opportunity to tie the game. Johnson connected on both free throws to cut the Trojan lead to 72-71.
In an effort to stop the clock, Auburn fouled USC’s Boogie Ellis with two seconds remaining. Ellis connected on both free throws, which sealed the win.
Auburn could not keep the momentum that it had built in the later stages of the first half. After putting together a strong run to end the first stanza, The Tigers struggled in the turnover department over the final 20 minutes. Auburn turned the ball over 23 times, which resulted in 17 USC points. The Trojans turned the ball over 12 times in the half, but Auburn could only turn those into four points.
Auburn went cold on offense in the second half as well. The Tigers only shot 38% from the field in the second half, which was a significant drop from the 58% shooting they built in the first half.
Auburn trailed by as many as six points before ending the first half strong. The Tigers ended the half on a 14-2 run over the final six minutes to take a 39-35 lead into halftime. Tre Donaldson and Johni Broome each connected on three-pointers to tie the game at 35. The pair would end the first half in double-figures, Broome leading the way with 11 points while Donaldson reached a career-high 10 through the first 20 minutes.
Following the tying shot, K.D. Johnson was on the receiving end of a personal foul by USC’s Drew Peterson. He connected on both shots from the free-throw line, which gave Auburn the 37-35 lead with under two minutes remaining in the half.
Auburn Basketball got off to a shaky offensive start by shooting just 2-of-6 from the field at the first media timeout while allowing the Trojans to connect on 4-of-6 shots and to jump out to a 9-5 lead. Auburn would find a way back into the game quickly, as Donaldson nailed a three-pointer with 12:53 remaining in the half. Another bench player, Allen Flanigan, put Auburn back in front, 15-13, on a three-pointer just 45 seconds later.
The joy was short-lived, as the Trojans were able to spark another run to give themselves another comfortable lead.
USC tied the game at 17-17 on a layup by Reese Dixon-Waters, which ignited a 16-9 stretch over a six-minute span to give them the 33-25 lead at the 5:12 mark in the first half. Malik Thomas and Boogie Ellis were the headliners of the run, combining to score 12 of USC’s 16 points.
The shooting was poor on both sides through the first five minutes of the second half, as neither team could connect over 40% of its shots. The Trojans did the most damage in the frame, however, as they went on a 9-0 run to retake the 44-43 lead with 15:09 remaining in regulation.
Broome ended the game with 16 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Donaldson ended his night with ten points.
Auburn will now begin the second leg of its west coast expedition. The Tigers will travel to Seattle to face the Washington Huskies on Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.
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