USC guard Boogie Ellis, right, drives against Arizona State forward Jamiya Neal during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC guard Tre White looks to shoot, while Arizona State guard Frankie Collins, obstructed, gets a hand on the ball during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arizona State guard Devan Cambridge (35) and forward Alonzo Gaffney (32) reach for a rebound during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters (2) shoots against Arizona State forward Warren Washington (22) and forward Alonzo Gaffney during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley instructs his team from the sidelines during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC forward Kobe Johnson looks to pass the ball as Arizona State forward Jamiya Neal defends during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC coach Andy Enfield calls out to his players during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC guard Boogie Ellis shoots during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arizona State guard DJ Horne gestures after making a 3-point shot during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC guard Drew Peterson calls a play while bringing the ball up the court during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters loses the ball after being fouled during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arizona State guard DJ Horne reaches for the ball during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley reacts on the sidelines during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC’s Reese Dixon-Waters handles the ball as Arizona State’s DJ Horne defends during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC’s Joshua Morgan, top, drives to the basket against Arizona State’s Warren Washington (22) and Frankie Collins during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC’s Boogie Ellis loses the ball while under pressure from Arizona State’s Warren Washington, left, Frankie Collins (10) and Desmond Cambridge Jr., right, during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Arizona State’s Desmond Cambridge Jr., left, and USC’s Reese Dixon-Waters react after the Trojans turned the ball over during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Arizona State players celebrate on the bench after the team got a defensive stop against USC during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Arizona State’s DJ Horne gestures after making a 3-pointer during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC coach Andy Enfield talks with Boogie Ellis during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC’s Reese Dixon-Waters (2) drives to the basket against Arizona State’s Warren Washington, left, and Alonzo Gaffney, right, during the first half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC’s Drew Peterso fouls Arizona State’s Frankie Collins during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC coach Andy Enfield calls out to his players during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC’s Reese Dixon-Waters is fouled as he dunks by Arizona State’s Jamiya Neal during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters hangs from the rim as a flagrant foul was called against Arizona State forward Jamiya Neal during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC’s Tre White, right, checks on teammate Reese Dixon-Waters after he was fouled as he dunked by Arizona State’s Jamiya Neal during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters holds his head as he walks on the court after he was the recipient of a flagrant foul during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC’s Boogie Ellis, center, and Arizona State’s Devan Cambridge pursue a loose ball during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC’s Drew Peterson grabs a rebound over Arizona State’s Frankie Collins during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Arizona State guard Frankie Collins shoots over USC forward Joshua Morgan (24) during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arizona State guard Frankie Collins (10) shoots over USC forward Joshua Morgan (24) during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC coach Andy Enfield calls out to his players during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC’s Drew Peterson handles the ball as Arizona State’s Desmond Cambridge Jr. (4), Alonzo Gaffney (32) and Warren Washington, right, defend during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Arizona State guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. shoots over USC guard Tre White during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arizona State’s Desmond Cambridge Jr. celebrates after making a 3-pointer during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Arizona State guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. celebrates after a play during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC’s Kobe Johnson reacts after he fouled out of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
USC forward Kobe Johnson reacts after a play during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against Arizona State on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
USC forward Kobe Johnson reacts after a play during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against ASU on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arizona State’s Desmond Cambridge Jr. soars to the basket for a dunk during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Arizona State guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. celebrates after a play during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against USC on Thursday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
LAS VEGAS — Down by nine with three minutes left, USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters began to cut to the basket, expecting the Trojans to initiate their offense. What he did not expect was for Kobe Johnson to pass the ball to where Dixon-Waters had just been, only for it to bounce untouched out of bounds.
Coach Andy Enfield could only slump back in his seat, a dejected look on his face as the third-seeded Trojans wasted opportunity after opportunity to mount a comeback in Friday night’s Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal against sixth-seeded Arizona State. Instead, USC left T-Mobile Arena with a 77-72 loss in which the Trojans never led.
Arizona State was the desperate team, needing to win the Pac-12 Tournament title to guarantee itself a spot in the NCAA Tournament field, and the Sun Devils played like it. They dove to the floor after every loose ball. They flew across the court to close out on open shooters. After a player on the court drew a foul, the bench rose to its feet in celebration.
The hustle showed up in the first-half box score, between eight offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points and five steals.
“In the first half, they wanted it more than us,” said Boogie Ellis, who had 15 points before fouling out. “We came out flat. They just wanted it more than us tonight. That’s my job as a leader to get the guys going and I didn’t do a great job of that.”
USC, meanwhile, was rudderless. Five turnovers in 2:36, eight consecutive missed field-goal attempts, and no clear or even hazy secondary scorer behind Ellis, whose teammates shot 4 for 20 from the floor prior to halftime.
After a week in which players like Dixon-Waters and Joshua Morgan were in and out of practice with illness, the Trojans could not overcome their rust.
“We came out soft,” Johnson said. “This time of year, you can’t come out soft.”
USC (22-10) had its chances in the second half. It made five of seven shots during one stretch to cut the deficit to nine. Ellis drew an offensive foul, and USC could have inched closer. But after a Johnson miss, Arizona State (22-11) grabbed a long offensive rebound after a miss at the end of the shot clock. Two passes later, Duke Brennan had an open layup.
There was no better opportunity than when Dixon-Waters completed a vicious tomahawk dunk through a smack to his face. The foul was upgraded to a flagrant, giving Dixon-Waters two free throws and USC the ball back.
But he split the two shots, then Ellis turned the ball over, leading to an ASU 3-pointer. Instead of a potential six-point play to cut the deficit in half, USC had gained no ground, down 12 all over again.
The Sun Devils’ 3-point shooting kept USC at bay all game. ASU’s 14 3-pointers tied the most allowed by the Trojans all season. By the time USC hit three straight 3-pointers to get within four, there were only 14 seconds left.
USC now will have to wait three nights until Selection Sunday, wondering about its fate. Does the loss send USC to Albany or Greensboro instead of travel-friendly Sacramento or Denver? Or do the Trojans head to the play-in games in Dayton, Ohio?
Their fate is in the Selection Committee’s hands, but Enfield believes his team has done enough to earn its spot in the 68-team field.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity this year with our roster, but this is why I’m so proud,” Enfield said. “To see where they’ve come from the beginning of the year to the end, it’s really impressive. … Where that puts us on Sunday is not my decision, but I’m very, very proud as a head coach.”
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