The lowdown:
The night started solemnly with a 24.8-second moment of silence to honor Kobe Bryant and the eight other victims of Sunday’s tragic helicopter crash.
When the buzzer sounded and play began, USC still looked in a daze. The Trojans missed their first four shots and hit just two of their first 16 attempts from the field. It’s no wonder Utah was able to take an early 16-6 lead.
Eventually Rakocevic sparked the offense by hitting four-of-five shots , including a three-pointer to keep the Trojans in it as the first half progressed.