USC men's basketball sees its March Madness hopes take hit in loss

USC powerless against late Minnesota surge as its NCAA tourney hopes take a hit

Highlights from USC’s 69-66 loss to Minnesota at Galen Center on Saturday.

Feb. 15, 2025 Updated 5:56 PM PT

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USC’s game against Minnesota on Saturday carried more emotional weight than a typical matchup for Trojans coach Eric Musselman. He spent his formative years in Minneapolis while his father, Bill Musselman, coached Minnesota from 1971 to 1975, winning a Big Ten title in the process.

His first matchup against Minnesota will be one to remember for Eric Musselman, but for all the wrong reasons. The final minute was a comedy of errors from the officials and the Trojans’ offense. A multitude of mistakes ultimately cost the Trojans a much-needed win with March Madness on the horizon.

Leading for much of the game, USC was unable to prevent a late collapse in a 69-66 loss at Galen Center after blowing a 14-point lead. The loss complicated USC’s already tenuous NCAA tournament aspirations.

The Trojans had a chance to win in the final minute. With 23.2 seconds left, USC held a 66-65 lead and the ball. The Trojans inbounded, and Desmond Claude dribbled up the court, but an inadvertent whistle from one of the referees halted play.

The stoppage caused widespread confusion and incensed Musselman.

“I don’t want to get fined, but I just watched it... never seen anything like it,” Musselman said. “What I am going to complain about is, is someone going out on the floor when we have the ball.”

While the referees did them no favors, the Trojans’ comeback hopes also were stymied by two turnovers in the final minute.

Clark Slajchert turned over the ball off the inbound pass following the inadvertent whistle. Seconds later, Minnesota’s Lu’Cye Patterson was fouled driving to the basket, and he made both of his free throws to give the Golden Gophers a one-point lead.

On the next possession, a turnover by Claude — his sixth of the game — coupled with two more Patterson free throws sealed the win for Minnesota (13-12, 5-9).

“We’re off the bubble,” Musselman said about where USC’s NCAA tournament hopes stand. “We have a two-game road trip coming up — Ohio State is sitting here [just ahead in the standings] waiting on us. ... The importance of this game was monumental.”

For the first 36 minutes, USC led the game, and at times, was in solid control, leading by as much as 14. The Golden Gophers, however, started to chip away in the second half. A 13-3 run gave Minnesota a 53-52 lead with 7:16 left.

With the score tied 59-59, Wesley Yates III hit a three-pointer with 3:59 left to give the Trojans a 62-59 lead, but USC couldn’t keep up its momentum. Frank Mitchell scored back-to-back baskets to cut USC’s lead to one before Patterson’s free throws put Minnesota ahead for good.

“Trying to make the Big Ten tournament,” Musselman said about the Trojans’ primary goal for the remainder of the regular season. “I told the staff at the beginning of the year that I thought making the Big Ten tournament was, one, something we didn’t want to be left out of. And now, that’s in jeopardy, obviously.”

USC is 11th in the Big Ten — it needs to finish 15th or higher to make the conference tournament.

Yates finished with 18 points, going three for four from three-point range and five for five from the free-throw line. He was one of three Trojans in double figures, alongside Chibuzo Agbo and Claude, who scored 18 and 12 points, respectively.