Jordan McLaughlin, Julian Jacobs and the rest of the USC team that was probably the biggest surprise of the Pac-12 Conference season walked into the tunnel on Thursday night.
The Trojans had just lost to Utah, 80-72, in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament. Yet the USC fans sitting near the tunnel gave them a standing ovation.
After trailing by double digits in the second half, USC had nearly come back.
With 90 seconds left, USC was within a possession, and its defense had tightened. Utah’s Brandon Taylor dribbled around the top of the key, with the shot clock running out.