The March Madness hopes of USC men’s basketball may be falling apart after suffering a third consecutive loss, this time in disastrous fashion to the University of Oregon, 71-70 at the Galen Center on Saturday, Feb. 21.
After a back-and-forth contest, the Trojans held a 70-64 lead over the Ducks with a minute remaining, and had a 94.4% win probability, according to ESPN.
However, Oregon freshman forward Kwame Evans Jr., who led the Ducks in the victory with 21 points and shot 11-for-13 from the charity stripe, drove in for a layup to cut the lead before nailing a 26-foot jumper to cut the lead to 70-69.
A stepback jumper from USC’s Alijah Arenas did not fall for the Trojans, leading to Ducks senior center Nate Bittle drilling two free throws to seal the last minute comeback victory.
It was a tough outing for Arenas, who had scored 24 or more in three of the last four games heading into Saturday.
Darwin Walker - The Sporting Tribune
USC guard Alijah Arenas (0) attempts a lay up during an NCAA basketball game against Oregon on February 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.
The freshman guard did not see his first field goal of the contest until the 11:49 mark of the second half, and shot 4-of-14 from the field overall.
Arenas picked up the scoring load late, scoring 13 points over the final stretch of the second half, but it was not enough for the Trojans to escape the upset loss against their Big Ten rival.
Saturday’s game also marked the return of USC senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara, who had missed the previous two weeks with a knee sprain.
Darwin Walker - The Sporting Tribune
USC forward Chad Baker-Mazara (4) dribbles the basketball during an NCAA basketball game against Oregon on February 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.
Coming off the bench in his first game back, Baker-Mazara found his rhythm immediately, racking up 13 straight points in the first half to help USC build an early 23-15 lead.
Baker-Mazara finished with a team-high 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting in 23 minutes.
As the Trojans fall to 7-9 in the Big Ten and their March Madness hopes continue to dwindle, they will look to get back in the win column against UCLA at the Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday, Feb. 24.