Washington Men’s Basketball returned to Big Ten action on the road at No. 24 USC, following an 82-80 loss at home to UCLA. The Huskies were looking for a sharper performance after turning the ball over 15 times against the Bruins. Washington was looking to avoid a 0-2 conference start as they faced an unbeaten ( 8-0 ) Trojans team. On Saturday, the Huskies faced a big halftime deficit but fought back in the second half to earn their first conference win.
Washington struggles to score in the first half
The Huskies were turnover-prone in their loss to the UCLA Bruins, and that trend continued against the Trojans. Washington committed nine first-half turnovers and struggled to move the ball. The Huskies had just five assists on 12 made field goals in the first 20 minutes of play. Another issue for Washington was their three-point shooting. The Huskies were 1/12 from beyond the arc to start the game. Washington scored 20 of its 30 first-half points in the paint, as Hannes Steinbach led the team with 10 points.
USC’s hot shooting gives them a big halftime lead
The Trojans shot 50% from the field to begin the game and made 5/12 three-point shots to start the game. The Huskies struggled to defend the three-point line against UCLA earlier this week, and those issues continued against USC on Saturday. G Chad Baker-Mazara paced the Trojans with 14 points and was 2/5 from beyond the arc. Behind good three-point shooting, the Trojans cruised to a 48-30 halftime lead.
Washington strikes back in the second half
The Huskies came out of the halftime break with a 13-0 run to start the half, quickly cutting USC’s 18-point halftime lead to five in less than three minutes. The Trojans hit back with a 13-6 run to go back up 61-49. A familiar struggle for a Washington team that had faced double-digit deficits in each of its last two games and was unable to come all the way back. This time, though, the Huskies found a way to complete the comeback.
Desmond Claude and Hannes Steinbach bring Washington back
Desmond Claude led the charge, with 18 second-half points (he finished with 22) against his former team. Hannes Steinbach also had 14 points in the half and made crucial shots down the stretch. Steinbach scored 24 points for the game and finished with 16 rebounds to earn his fifth double-double of the year. With 4:07 left in the game, he hit a three-pointer to put the Huskies up 71-68, a lead they would never surrender. Behind another three from Claude and clutch free-throw shooting, Washington defeated No. 24 USC 84-76.
Huskies dominate final 20 minutes to earn comeback win
Washington played cleaner basketball in the second half. After committing nine first-half turnovers, the Huskies turned the ball over just three times the rest of the game. Another key to Washington’s turnaround was three-point shooting. Following a half in which the Huskies shot 1/12 from three, Washington shot 5/9 from beyond the arc in the second half. The Huskies’ defense also did a better job defending the three-point line. USC went from shooting 42% from deep in the first half to shooting just 28% in the second half. Rebounding was crucial for the Huskies as well, as Washington out-rebounded the Trojans 25-12 to close out the game.
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