Field Level Media
Mar 13, 2021
D'Shawn Schwartz broke a tie by slamming a put-back dunk with 3.3 seconds left, and 23rd-ranked Colorado beat 24th-ranked Southern California 72-70 in a Pac-12 tournament semifinal game Friday night in Las Vegas.
McKinley Wright IV returned from taking an elbow to the head to finish with 24 points, and Jeriah Horne scored 19 for third-seeded Colorado (22-7), which will play fifth-seeded Oregon State in the title game on Saturday night. The Beavers beat top-seeded Oregon 75-64 earlier Friday.
Evan Mobley had 26 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots and Tahj Eaddy scored all 11 of his points during a 14-2 run by the second-seeded Trojans (22-7) in the final 3:38 that tied the game at 70.
Wright went out after he took an elbow to the head from Chevez Goodwin with 13:49 left in the first half. He went to the locker room with help but returned with 7:08 left before halftime. He scored eight of his 13 first-half points after coming back to the game.
The Buffaloes were on top 39-30 at the break. Mobley scored USC's first six points of the second half, but Horne drained a pair of 3-pointers to stretch Colorado's advantage to 52-42.
The Trojans went on a 12-4 run to make it 58-56 with 6:50 left, but Horne scored eight straight points and Evan Battey made a layup during a 10-0 run that put the Buffaloes ahead 68-56 with 3:54 left.
Eaddy made a 3-pointer and a jumper and Mobley drained one from the top of the circle for a quick 8-0 run. Wright made a layup and Eaddy answered with another from long range to make it a three-point game with 1:24 left.
After a Colorado miss, Eaddy converted a three-point play with 36 seconds left. Wright missed a jumper with four seconds left, but Schwartz came flying in to slam the miss. USC couldn't get a shot off at the end.
Wright went out during a 17-0 run by Colorado, and the Buffaloes led by 20-6. Mobley kept the Trojans within reach with 17 first-half points. Noah Baumann's 3-pointer in the final seconds cut USC's deficit to nine entering intermission.
--Field Level Media