Bronny James Scores Crucial Free Throw in OT Thriller, As Isaiah Collier’s Inefficiency Costs USC the Game

Bronny James makes his much-anticipated debut as USC Trojans host the Long Beach State 49ers at home. After making a decent start to their NCAA campaign, USC was looking to bounce back from their previous game defeat to Gonzaga. As all eyes in the Galen Center were waiting to see Bronny in action, Long Beach State entered the arena to spoil the party for the home team.

In a back-and-forth contest, the Trojans couldn’t hold on to their nerve as they faltered to a resilient Long Beach 84-79 in overtime.

USC faces a disappointing loss at home

The game was even-stevens in the opening minutes of the first half. Both sides made a promising start scoring 7 apiece within the first 5 minutes. Following this, USC took control as they went on a 7-0 run courtesy of their talented forward Vincent Iwuchukwu. The Trojans were in control until they faced a hiccup. Their prolific performer Isaiah Collier was forced to leave the court following an injury scare after a nasty fall minutes before half-time.

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Fortunately, it was nothing serious as he came back to the court after a while. Moreover, his contributions gave USC the upper hand as they finished the opening half leading Long Beach State 45-30.

Long Beach stormed back into the game in the second half scoring as they closed the game to just two points with 10 minutes remaining until the final buzzer. Senior guard Marcus Tsohonis breached the Trojan’s defenses and did the bulk of the scoring for the State 49ers. As a result, he turned the tables and brought down USC’s 15-point lead to just 1.

In fact, they didn’t let USC get away with anything and were holding their firm grip on the game. Additionally, some clumsy and lazy basketball by the No.1 Isaiah Collier gave Long Beach a chance to sneak back into the game. However, Bronny’s crucial free throw couldn’t get them past USC as the thrilling game went to overtime after both sides couldn’t be separated after a 74-74 tie at the final buzzer.

USC’s fall in overtime

The drama continued as Long Beach finally got themselves ahead in overtime. They managed to score 4 points within a minute causing a stir in USC’s camp. Following this, the Trojans responded with 5 points of their own. Eventually, USC couldn’t deal with the tenacity of Marcus Tsohonis as he stole the victory from right under their nose. He finished the night with 28 points. The State 49ers sealed the game at 84-79 scoring 10 points in four minutes.

The Trojans have now lost 2 back-to-back games in the Pac-12 Conference. Consequently, they now carry a dismal record of (5-4) in the competition. Furthermore, Isaiah Collier’s inaccuracy in landing free throws poses some concerns for them. We will have to wait and see if they can regroup and come back in their next game.

What are your thoughts on USC’s loss? Let us know in the comments section.

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