No. 12 UCLA looks to snap No. 21 USC’s win streak in crosstown rivalry
Tarek Fattal, The Orange County Register - 2h ago
No. 12 UCLA looks to snap No. 21 USC’s win streak in crosstown rivalry (msn.com)
As if losing to your crosstown rival doesn’t sting enough, UCLA’s last two losses to USC have come by way of buzzer-beaters. The two drama-filled finishes are the latter half of USC’s four-game winning streak over the Bruins.
No. 12 UCLA will take on No. 21 USC at the Galen Center at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN to see if the fifth time is a charm.
USC hasn’t beaten UCLA five consecutive times since 1943.
“We need to win,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “I have nothing but great respect for Andy Enfield and the job he’s done (at USC). I think he’s a tremendous, tremendous coach.”
Cronin touched on the difference between the Bruins’ rivalry with the Trojans compared with his Cincinnati days, a time he described as “no love lost” when competing against other coaches. That’s not what it’s like between Cronin and Enfield.
“I’ve gotten to know (Enfield), he’s a good guy,” Cronin said. “But I’d like to not get beat at the buzzer. It would be nice to win one at the buzzer.”
UCLA’s most recent win at Stanford was pivotal, redirecting the Bruins after losing both games on the Arizona trip. The Cardinal jumped out to a 10-2 lead in Tuesday night’s game, but Johnny Juzang’s 23 points guided UCLA to victory.
Beating USC will be a tall task. The Trojans boast returners Isaiah Mobley, Chevez Goodwin, Drew Peterson, Max Agbonkpolo and Reese Dixon-Waters, and they added Duke transfer Boogie Ellis. Mobley and Ellis are the key combo, averaging 14.7 and 12.8 points per game, respectively.
“They have a tremendous team, statistically,” Cronin said. “Other than free-throw shooting, they literally dominate the bottom line, every category: rebounding, field-goal percentage, assists versus their opponents.”
Cronin continued to lay out where USC’s averages shine in comparison to this season’s opponents: “Points per game, turnovers, they have an impressive stat line. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Like UCLA, USC has dropped in the AP Top 25 poll after losing two of their last five, specifically at home to Stanford and at Arizona. The Trojans then eked out to a 74-68 win over Pacific on Tuesday night without Mobley.
“Trying to motivate your team to play Pacific in between Arizona and UCLA might be the toughest task in the history of college coaching,” Cronin said laughing. “So, I put no stock in that game (against Pacific).”
A win Saturday night would be big for either team. The Bruins (17-4, 9-3 Pac-12) are third in the Pac-12 standings, and USC (20-4, 9-4) is fourth. Arizona is in first at 11-2 followed by Oregon at 9-3 based on the Ducks’ 84-81 over the Bruins on Jan. 13.
After Saturday night, UCLA will have seven conference games left and USC will have six. They will square off in their conference finales March 5 at Pauley Pavilion.
The Pac-12 Conference Tournament is scheduled to start March 9 in Las Vegas.