USC overcomes its usual free-throw struggles to upend UCLA again
USC’s Chevez Goodwin reacts after making a basket in the second half Saturday. Before Tahj Eaddy came free and his fading, corner heave miraculously fell, the final, slim hopes of USC’s first conference title in 35 years nearly faded away at the free-throw line. Still, in spite of its free-throw woes — and its equally confounding issues from long range — a stunning game-winner from Eaddy allowed USC to upend UCLA 64-63 at Pauley Pavilion, completing a second consecutive season sweep of the crosstown rivalry and keeping the Trojans’ hopes for an unlikely Pac-12 title alive. “We need our big guys to shoot free throws, especially coming up next week and in the NCAA tournament,” USC coach Andy Enfield said. “This team could win some games in the NCAA tournament,” Enfield said, “but at the same time, we’ve had games this year where we just didn’t make shots and we’ve struggled.
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