There was no hiding the desperation any longer. Not with the clock ticking on USC’s narrow tournament hopes. Not with three straight losses in the rearview mirror and only four games left in the regular season.
The chances to state their postseason case were dwindling fast in Eric Musselman’s first season as coach, slipping away amid a stiff Big Ten slate. The cut line for the conference tournament now loomed just below them in the standings.
Time was running out on the Trojans. Desmond Claude seemed to sense as much as he careened into the lane late Wednesday against Ohio State, with USC having clawed its way back from a staggering deficit to within striking distance.
As Claude fell toward the baseline and sunk a floater, a stunning, comeback victory — and a late February turnaround — seemed within reach.
But with 28 seconds left, Claude brought the ball up the court, only to have it poked away. Just as quickly as they’d appeared, the Trojans’ hopes of stemming the tide slipped away in an 87-82 defeat.
The loss — USC’s sixth in its last seven games — left the Trojans at 14-14, their first time without a winning record under Musselman.
But the bigger picture was perhaps more bleak. Any chance of USC making the NCAA tournament probably hinges on making a run in the Big Ten tournament. And as of Wednesday, the Trojans weren’t yet officially invited to it.
Missing the conference tournament would be a particularly disappointing conclusion at the end of Musselman’s first season, which at times appeared to have promise. But that’s since faded.
Wesley Yates III did his best to keep that faith alive as he scored 27 points to lead the Trojans (6-11 Big Ten).
Claude was kept almost entirely in check. He’d hit just a single shot from the field before he came knifing through the lane in transition with just over four minutes remaining. His lay-in drew the Trojans to within a point.
But USC couldn’t capitalize, clinging on until the final seconds, when Yates tried a three at the top of the key to tie. He missed it, and Saint Thomas pulled down the rebound, only to step out of bounds.
Ohio State unleashed an offensive torrent from the opening tip, burying one three-pointer after another in the face of a flustered Trojans defense that had given up 93 points in its last outing.
It had no answer for the Buckeyes knocking down eight in a row from three-point range to start the game. Through the first 15 minutes, Ohio State missed just three shots (14 for 17) as USC struggled to string together stops.
The game already was threatening to slip away when a furious Musselman called a timeout with USC down 15. The Trojans had just turned the ball over on three straight possessions. Ohio State was in the middle of a 9-0 run.
USC was able to stem the tide briefly, only for Ohio State to come roaring back. It sank an eighth straight three-pointer. On the next possession, a loose ball careened off Yates and out of bounds.
His frustration boiling over, Musselman was called for a technical foul.
Those feelings abated some in the second half, as the Trojans turned up their efforts on defense. USC held Ohio State to just 33% shooting in the half.
But the hole it dug was already too deep.