UCLA Basketball Loses To USC, 75-71

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The ten-game win-streak, the dominant win over Arizona, the massive win over then-seventh-ranked Missouri and every win in between has built UCLA basketball’s mirage of success and hope for the 2012-13 season.

UCLA lost to the USC Trojans in overtime on Wednesday night in Pauley Pavilion, 75-71.

The Trojans took a 23-21 lead with six minutes left in the first half and did not find itself trailing for the rest of regulation. At one point, USC’s lead ballooned to 15 in the second half, with Jio Fontan’s jumper giving the Trojans a 52-37 lead with 14 minutes left in the contest.

UCLA would rally late and improbably tie the game on the last minute off of a Jordan Adams jumper with 32 seconds left.

The Bruins would then go on to take their first lead in well over 25 minutes when Jordan Adams converted a lay-up in overtime to put the Bruins up, 69-67. USC would respond with a three-pointer from Jio Fontan but Shabazz Muhammad answered right back with a lay-up to put UCLA ahead one last time.

The Trojans then managed to earn a go-ahead lay-up with 96 seconds left on the clock and after a few messy offensive possessions, the Trojans were content with making free-throws to ice the game and improve to 9-13 on the year and 4-5 in conference play.

With the loss, the Bruins fall to 16-6 in the 2012-13 season and 6-3 in the Pac-12.

UCLA has lost three of their last four contests and with this most recent one, the fate of head coach Ben Howland is looking more and more grim.

UCLA is set to take on the Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion next Thursday, February 7 at 6 p.m. PT.