Washington Edges USC in Rollercoaster Thriller

No. 13 seed USC and No. 12 seed Washington faced off in an overtime nail-biter that saw 13 lead changes and seven ties. The Trojans built a 40-33 halftime lead thanks to efficient shooting (47% from the field) and a balanced attack, with Jacob Cofie (12 points) and Kam Woods (10) leading the way. Washington kept it close behind Zoom Diallo and Hannes Steinbach, who contributed seven points each in the first half.

The second half was a rollercoaster, with USC extending its lead to 13 before Washington stormed back with a 13-0 run to take the lead. Both teams traded blows down the stretch, with clutch plays from Ezra Ausar and Courtland Muldrew forcing overtime at 71-71. In OT, Washington’s Wesley Yates III and Diallo delivered key buckets, while a defensive stop secured Washington's 83-79 win. Diallo finished with a team-high 22 points, while Woods led USC with 24 in the hard-fought loss.

No. 12 seed Washington advances to play No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the third round around 1:30 p.m. CT tomorrow on Big Ten Network (following Iowa-Ohio State). Badgers senior Braeden Carrington set a program record with nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 32-point performance in Wisconsin's win over Washington a couple weeks ago. Want to see the rematch in person in Chicago?  Click here .

Full breakdown below. 👇 Get more tournament stories here .

First Half: Eight lead changes early

• It's a back-and-forth battle early. Kam Woods and Ryan Cornish (USC) trade buckets with Zoom Diallo and Lathan Sommerville (WASH), and a Quimari Peterson three gives the Huskies an 8-7 edge (16:56).
• USC goes on a quick 5-0 run that Washington immediately matches. The Trojans take the lead back, and hold onto it until Diallo drains a couple free throws to go back up one.
• The Trojans score five straight; Washington response again.
• USC finally breaks away with a 9-1 run, taking a 32-25 lead with 3:37 remaining!
• The teams go tit-for-tat the rest of the way, and USC heads into the break with a seven-point edge. 40-33 Trojans.
• Notable: We've had eight lead changes and three ties in the first half alone.
• Notable: USC had a strong first half, shooting 47% from the field and 42% from three. Washington is at 36% and 33%, respectively.
• Notable: Both teams are relying on offensive balance. Seven different Trojans have scored already, led by Jacob Cofie (12 points) and Woods (10), who have both already exceeded their game averages. Six Huskies are on the board, with Diallo (7 points) and Hannes Steinbach (7 points, 7 rebounds).

Second Half: Punches and counterpunches

• The Trojans open up with five straight points and take their largest lead of the game! 45-33 USC (18:14).
• UW punches back with a 7-0 run led by four points from Sommerville! 45-40 USC with 17:21 on the clock.
• USC claps back with a 6-0 run before the teams trade buckets for a couple minutes. It's 56-44 USC with 13:58 left.
• Notable: The Trojans have been killing it in transition. They have 13 fast break points compared to Washington's three.
• The Huskies go on a 13-0 spurt to take the lead, led by five points from Wesley Yates III! 🔥 60-58 Washington with 9:01 to go!
• A Jordan Marsh three gives USC the lead, but UW quickly takes it back, courtesy of Courtland Muldrew and Diallo. 64-61 Washington (6:03).
• Notable: Three players have four fouls with 5:27 to go – Cornish (USC), Diallo (WASH), and Yates III (WASH).
• We're going shot-for-shot. Free throws from Muldrew. Dunk from Ezra Ausar. Triple from Diallo. Another slam from Ausar. 69-67 Washington (4:12).
• Woods ties the game with a jumper! 69-69 with 3:08 remaining!
• ANOTHER. DUNK. Ausar gives the Trojans a two-point advantage.
• Muldrew counters to tie it back up at 71! UW timeout with 35 seconds remaining.
• Each team had a shot to take the lead, but defensive stops force OT! 👀

Overtime: Down to the wire

• Woods jumper. Steinbach layup. Marsh three-point play. USC leads 76-73 (3:27).
• Notable: Muldrew picks up his fourth foul.
• Washington gets a four-point edge after twos from Yates III and Diallo along with a Peterson triple.
• Notable: Yates III fouls out for Washington. He finishes with 15 points for the Huskies.
• Woods' and-one puts the Trojans back within one with 36 seconds left!
• Diallo drills two clutch free throws to give UW a three-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. Timeout USC. 😬
• The Husky defense comes up with a stop, and Steinbach free throws close out an 83-79 overtime win!
• Notable: We saw 13 total lead changes and seven ties in the game.

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