On Saturday, the USC men’s basketball team fell 69-64 to Purdue at Galen Center. With the loss the Trojans dropped to 14-4 on the season and 3-4 in Big Ten play.
What did we learn from the game? Here are a few key takeaways:
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So close
The Trojans had plenty of opportunities to upset the No. 5 team in the country. USC opened the game by jumping out to a 22-8 lead on Purdue. Ultimately, however, the Trojans came up a few plays short of what would have been a signature victory.
Proved they belong
Despite the loss, however, the game was a sign of major progress for USC. Two weeks ago, the Trojans faced a pair of top 15 opponents in Michigan and Michigan State and got blown out both times. This time, they looked as though they legitimately belonged on the same court as an elite opponent, which is certainly an encouraging sign.
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Free throws strike again
If you have followed USC basketball over the past 5-10 years, you know that free throws have always seemed to give the Trojans trouble. That was the case once again on Saturday, as USC made just five of its 14 attempts from the line.
Toughest stretch now behind
The good news is for the Trojans is that the toughest part of the schedule is now behind them. After the aforementioned three games against top 15 opponents in a two-week stretch, USC will face just two more ranked teams the rest of the regular season. No. 13 Illinois and No. 8 Nebraska both come to Galen Center in February.
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Up next
The Trojans are back in action when they host Northwestern on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. Pacific time.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC men’s basketball falls 69-64 to No. 5 Purdue: Key takeaways
