Ellis scores 35 points, but the Wildcats’ Azoulas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo are too much for the Trojans in an 87-81 loss that locks them into the No. 3 seed for the Pac-12 Tournament.
LOS ANGELES — It started as an offensive rebound off a missed free throw, something that will drive any coach crazy. But USC recovered well to defend the possession. Boogie Ellis poked the ball away from Arizona’s Cedric Henderson Jr., setting up a USC fast break.
It was just one of those nights for USC in an 87-81 loss to No. 8 Arizona in which nothing seemed to go the Trojans’ way. USC started the game with center Joshua Morgan dropped back under the rim, allowing Ballo to roam freely along the perimeter. White was responsible for Tubelis but had a 4-inch disadvantage against the All-Pac-12 forward. Even with Morgan back helping, White could do little to slow down Tubelis, who finished the game with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
This was especially problematic on a night when Ellis was the only reliable Trojan on offense. He scored 11 of USC’s first 16 points, zig-zagging through defenders to the rim. Coach Andy Enfield took him out for a 35-second breather, only to realize he lost his entire offense with the senior guard on the bench.
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