RALEIGH, N.C. >> Welcome to the dark side of the NCAA tournament, Trojans.
And goodbye.
A buoyant season hurled the Trojans into a brick wall with 1.5 seconds left in the first round Thursday night.
Rodney Bullock, left absurdly alone in the lane, made a layup off an in-bounds pass for Providence, and USC goes home with a 21-13 record and a 70-69 loss that will require a lot of novocaine.
The Trojans swarmed to one side of the lane as Drew Edwards inbounded the ball, and Bullock cut across the grain and eluded Elijah Stewart and Chimezie Metu.