Harrison Ingram drove for a tiebreaking layup with 34 seconds remaining and Stanford upset 15th-ranked Southern California for the second time in 16 days, winning 64-61 on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Seeking to double up after a 75-69 home win over the Trojans on Jan. 11, Stanford (12-6, 5-3 Pac-12) found itself in a 60-all tie after a Drew Peterson 3-pointer drew USC (17-3, 7-3) even with 55 seconds left.
After Ingram put the Cardinal up two with his hoop, USC’s Isaiah Mobley connected on just the first of two free throws with 14 seconds to go, leaving the Trojans down 62-61.
Brandon Angel’s two foul shots three seconds later increased the margin to three. When Mobley was off the mark on a potential game-tying 3-pointer with four seconds to go, the clock ran out on the Trojans’ third loss in seven games since a 13-0 start.
The win gave Stanford its first season-series sweep of USC since 2014-15.
Stanford’s Jaiden Delaire and USC’s Peterson shared game-high scoring honors with 14 points apiece.
Stanford set the stage for its stunner when it held the Trojans scoreless for more than seven minutes, turning a 55-52 deficit with 8:43 to play into a 60-55 advantage with less than two minutes to go.
USC’s Max Agbonkpolo ended the skid with a jumper, and when Peterson buried a 3-pointer after a Cardinal turnover, the Trojans had leveled the game entering the last minute.
After watching Stanford score the first six points of the contest, the Trojans didn’t take their first lead of the game until the 16th minute on a Peterson 3-pointer.
Attempting to add to a three-game winning streak, USC led 34-28 at halftime. However, Delaire opened the second half with two hoops and James Keefe added a dunk, allowing the Cardinal to draw even and set the stage for a tight final 18 minutes.
Ingram finished with 12 points and Spencer Jones 10 for Stanford, which forced 14 USC turnovers, including four during the Trojans’ late scoring drought.
Boogie Ellis added 11 points for the Trojans, while Mobley accumulated nine points, a game-high-tying seven rebounds and a game-best nine assists.
–Field Level Media
