Photo: AP
The Oregon State men's basketball team gave the No. 5 USC Trojans everything they could handle Thursday night at the Galen Center in Los Angeles before ultimately falling 81-71.
The Beavers played one of their better contests of the season against the Trojans, jumping out to an early lead and forcing USC to play catchup. OSU led for nearly 28 minutes of action and was in a great position to perhaps steal a win on the road before an ice-cold stretch to close out the contest.
With 3:55 remaining, the Beavers held a 71-70 advantage over the Trojans. Over the next 3:41, the Trojans outscored the Beavers 11-0 to officially seal the contest.
The Beavers were led by a career-high 27 points from Jarod Lucas, 15 from Warith Alatishe, and 11 from Dashawn Davis, but were unable to make the plays down the stretch needed to upset a top team like the Trojans.
As a team, OSU shot 44% from the floor and 53% from deep, while holding the Trojans to 42% & 38% respectively. However, the Trojans were able to force 14 OSU turnovers which led to 10 additional points for USC. The Trojans also won the rebound battle 43-37 and had a +5 advantage on the offensive glass.
OSU (3-12, 1-4 Pac-12) is back in action across town on Saturday, squaring off with the No. 3 UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion at 7:30 p.m.