USC Basketball bounced from NIT by Western Kentucky

USC Basketball was bounced from the second round of the NIT by Western Kentucky, 79-75, on a night when poor free throw shooting sank the Trojans.

The lowdown:

First-time starter Victor Uyaelunmo was also the first on the board for USC with a dunk as the Trojans and Hilltoppers traded baskets in the early going.

Though he didn’t start the game, Elijah Stewart put up 10 quick points off the bench, while Justin Johnson’s 10 for WKU kept it close.

Jonah Mathews’ corner three set off a 10-2 Trojan run, highlighted by Jordan McLaughlin’s pinpoint delivery from halfcourt on a fastbreak alley-oop to Elijah Stewart, giving the Trojans a 23-18 advantage after one quarter.

USC’s lead swelled to seven early in the second quarter, but WKU whittled it down thanks in part to Jake Ohmer’s sharpshooting from distance. As the Trojans went on a three-minute scoring drought, the Hilltoppers grabbed back the lead with two minutes left in the first.

The first half ended with WKU ahead 40-39, but Jordan Usher put USC back on top quickly, blocking a shot and following it up with a three-pointer.

After Lamonte Bearden converted an and-one play, Usher mirrored it on the other end as the game went back-and-forth between the two teams.

The Trojans were the first to budge with WKU putting together a 10-2 run fueled by Josh Anderson, taking a seven-point lead.

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As quickly as USC let the Hilltoppers take control, they wrestled it right back. A Stewart alley-oop dunk and a triple pulled the Trojans back within one point, going into the fourth quarter trailing 59-58.

The run continued in the final quarter, ending at 9-0 on McLaughlin’s floater.. Another McLaughlin layup gave the point guard a double-double and the Trojans a six-point lead.

WKU erased that on a 7-0 run which was only stemmed by an Usher triple. By then, the Hilltoppers were in position to tie on Lamonte Bearden’s jump shot to make it even at 70.

With two minutes remaining, WKU’s Darius Thompson sank two free throws to take a two-point lead, while Usher hit one-of-two on the other end. The Hilltoppers were a perfect 15-of-15 from the line at that point.

Though Justin Johnson missed a foul shot in the final minute to keep USC within two points, Usher airballed two three-point attempts on USC’s final two possessions while the Trojans failed to foul in the final seconds.

Western Kentucky got away with the 79-75 win.

Player of the game: WKU’s Justin Johnson led all scorers with 23 points, added six rebounds and critically made 6-of-7 free throws despite a 55 percent average this season.

Stat of the game: While the Hilltoppers hit 16-of-17 free throws, USC went to the line 19 times and came away with just eight points.

Next on tap: The 2017-18 season is officially over as Western Kentucky will advance to the quarterfinals to face Oklahoma State.