Trojans Can’t Find Basket at the Finish

When Sam Clancy scored off an offensive rebound to tie the score, 61-61, with 3:48 left Wednesday, USC players figured they had a good shot at beating UCLA for the first time in five years.

But that would be the last field goal of the game for the Trojans as they lost for the 10th consecutive time to their cross-town rival.

“This was our game to get ‘em and we just didn’t get over the hump,” senior Adam Spanich said.

The Bruins dominated the final minutes by crashing the offensive boards, getting two, three and four shots at the basket almost every time down the floor.

“They were jumping three or four times when we were only jumping twice,” Clancy said. “It seemed like they were getting all the rebounds.”

The loss was especially tough on Spanich and Elias Ayuso, who will finish their careers at USC without having beaten UCLA.

“I guess we just got outhustled,” Spanich said. “We were tired at the end. You could tell.”