With 23 seconds left on the clock in the second overtime, Washington State called another timeout. Somehow, the team had lost its 19-point lead from the third quarter.
For the Cougars, their lead lasted for 39 minutes and 37 seconds. For the Trojans, that number was just over two minutes. However, according to head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, the team never gave up.
“Beginning in the second half, it wasn’t even close,” Gottlieb said. “We were getting beaten. Credit to our players for deciding who we are and that we are going to give it our best effort.”
On Saturday, the Trojans won 68-65 after a comeback at Galen Center against the Cougars, wrapping their regular season up and claiming their spot as the No. 6 seed in the Pac-12 tournament.
The Cougars knocked the Trojans off track from the first quarter. The game started with WSU taking a one-point lead into the second quarter as the Trojans made just one of eight 3-point attempts in the first frame.
In the second quarter, the Trojans struggled to find a bucket, shooting 12.5% from the field. At the same time, the Cougars managed to shoot 80% from the floor and knocked down four 3-pointers. The Cougars had a dominant 32-16 lead when the halftime buzzer sounded.
For USC, the third quarter didn’t start any better than the last one. WSU’s largest lead appeared four minutes into the half after the Cougars nailed a 3-pointer.
“At one point, we were down by 20,” graduate guard Destiny Littleton said. “I told them we’ve been here before. We were down by 20 to Utah and fought all the way back. Just remember how that felt and how we came together.”
In the fourth quarter, the Trojans got back on their feet on offense. With the clock down to just 36 ticks, redshirt freshman guard Taylor Bigby lept for a jump shot, successfully narrowing USC’s deficit to 53-51. On WSU’s next possession, graduate forward Kadi Sissoko swiped the ball away, and Bigby was sent to the free-throw line after being fouled on the other end. Bigby made both shots, bringing the game to a tie with fifteen seconds to go.
After Bigby’s late-game performance, Gottlieb believes that she can be the key to the team’s potential success in the Pac-12 tournament.
“Taylor Bigby came off the bench in this game. As our only freshman, she’s committed to this group because of these older leaders,” Gottlieb said. “As we go into the Pac-12 tournament, those [connections] are what you rely on. Everyone has played with each other many times. It’s going to be about who’s the most connected.”
USC was up to the challenge when WSU wanted to play the “Catch Me If You Can” game in overtime. Despite never being ahead in the first overtime, a 3-pointer with 1:11 left from graduate guard Okako Adika tied the game back up and sent the Trojans to a second overtime.
Nearly two minutes into the second overtime, USC took the lead for the first time all day. WSU tried to fight back when fifth-year forward Ula Motuga hit a 3-pointer to put the Cougars ahead 65-64 with 1:47 left. On Senior Day, Sissoko saved the day, finishing off WSU with the last four points of the game to will the Trojans to victory.
This Senior Day has left seniors, like Sissoko, with no regret about where they decided to play their final years of college basketball.
“All we’re achieving right now, I think we deserve it and we gained a lot,” Sissoko said. “We transferred so many times … We can’t retell the struggles, but we fought like hell today and in all the other winning games. So I’m just extremely grateful.”
With the regular season coming to an end, Gottlieb couldn’t help but feel proud of this team’s accomplishment.
“The most gratifying thing for me is watching your players achieve what they want to achieve,” Gottlieb said. " I know they want to play in an NCAA tournament and enjoy their final year. Many of [the seniors] have been at three schools. The past leads you to where you are, but you want that place to feel right. So, for a night like tonight, we’ll never forget it.”
The victory leaves the Trojans with an overall record of 21-8 and 11-7 in conference play. Next up, USC will battle Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament on Wednesday night.