DAYTON, Ohio >> Bennie Boatwright allowed the memory to creep in.
“I thought about it for a split second,” Boatwright said.
USC, as it did a year ago, held a late lead over Providence in the NCAA Tournament.
When the teams met in the first round last March, the Trojans were ahead by seven points in the closing minutes and remained ahead by one point with three seconds to go. Then their season reached an abrupt ahead. On an inbounds play, forward Rodney Bullock was left alone underneath the basket. The game-winning layup followed.
With three minutes left in a play-in game on Wednesday night, the Trojans were also leading the Friars by seven points.