LAS VEGAS —
For a few minutes, the dream looked plausible.
Five days after beating Arizona on its home court, USC was outplaying the Wildcats again with sticky defense and a snail’s pace that favored the Trojans.
A second consecutive upset would clear the biggest remaining hurdle toward USC’s hopes of winning the Pac-12 tournament and the resulting automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Unleashing a shrewd plan to counter an offensive juggernaut, the Trojans forced steals and grabbed offensive rebounds, irritating the Wildcats and their restless fans. Ten minutes in, Arizona — averaging a conference-best 89.