LOS ANGELES — This time, there would be no late heartbreak, no final turn of the knife, no stunning buzzer-beater to remember (or forget). There was no Tahj Eaddy in the corner for three or a Jonah Mathews step-back at the top of the key. There would be no one moment that would haunt UCLA — or a play forever immortalized in highlight reels for USC.
This time, it was UCLA’s Tyger Campbell who had the ball in his hands late, down three with a chance for a stunning shot in the final seconds.
This time, the buzzer-beater came up short — and USC still won a stunner, taking down UCLA, 67-64, for its biggest victory of the season so far.
For USC, the victory, its fifth straight over UCLA, was meaningful on multiple fronts. It was the first for the Trojans over a ranked opponent this season, a major moment for a team that to this point had little else bolstering its tournament resume. With the win, USC also drew within two games of Pac-12 leader Arizona, while all but eliminating its rival from the conference race.
But for a program still working to establish itself as a Pac-12 power, it was a major milestone.
The last time USC had won five straight over UCLA, John Wooden was still coaching at South Bend Central High School, a legendary career still very much ahead of him. The Trojans had won 42 in a row over their rivals to that point in 1942, but as Wooden took over a few years later, the next 80 years would pass by with USC unable to reach five consecutive wins over its rival.
Over those eight decades, there can’t have been many performances quite as gutsy as Drew Peterson on Saturday. The streaky senior had struggled in recent games, shooting 8 for 31 over USC’s last four.
But as the Trojans trudged on without leading scorer Isaiah Mobley, Peterson stepped into the void and more than filled Mobley’s shoes. He scored 25 points and added 12 rebounds, five blocks and four assists, as he dominated UCLA on both ends.
For the Bruins, it was a poor shooting performance that ultimately did them in. With USC’s stingy defense bearing down, UCLA shot a meager 30% — and 25% after the half.
Campbell led the way for the Bruins, in spite of that final miss, scoring a season-high 27 while the rest of UCLA’s offense spent most of the night ice cold.
Still, Campbell had two chances to win late, first coughing up a possession, then missing the final buzzer-beater attempt, when a Hail Mary inbounds pass from USC nearly ended in disaster.
Before that, Saturday played out much in the same way as its predecessors, with the two crosstown rivals trading punches and riding the hot hand on offense.
But this time, USC was left to recreate the magic of its last four victories over UCLA without Mobley, who fractured his nose last weekend in a loss to Arizona. All signs pointed toward Mobley suiting up against the Bruins. He was fitted earlier in the week for a protective mask, and coach Andy Enfield expressed confidence that he’d be in the lineup.
