USC hits 81.5 % of free throws, a key part of victory vs Auburn

The USC Trojans have a number of rivalries: against UCLA, against Notre Dame, against Pac-12 refs. Another rivalry: USC basketball versus free throws.

The Trojans have often lost to this particular rival. Previous Andy Enfield teams lost NCAA Tournament games (Providence 2016 comes to mind) due to late-game misses at the charity stripe. The Trojans have had a number of teams which hit below 68 percent at the foul line, leaving a lot of points on the court in winnable games which slipped through this team’s fingers.

Sunday against Auburn, USC was a new and reborn team at the free throw line, and it dearly mattered in a three-point (74-71) win for the Men of Troy.

USC needed every last one of its 22 made free throws in 27 attempts. The Trojans hit over 81 percent of their foul shots. Had they shot under 68 percent — 18 of 27 would have been a 66.7-percent clip — they probably lose this game. Coming up big at the foul line was an essential, not peripheral, part of this winning effort.

Boogie Ellis hit two free throws in the final seconds to provide the game’s three-point margin. He went 8 of 10 from the line. Kobe Johnson made all six of his free throws. Joshua Morgan had two ugly misses late, but he made his previous four tries and was 4 of 6. USC’s starting five went 22 of 26 at the free throw line. The reserves attempted only one foul shot and missed it.

USC, being without Vince Iwuchukwu, has a limited roster. This group is not as deep as it would have been with Iwuchukwu on the floor. In order to compensate for this deficiency, the Trojans have to max out at the free throw line and make sure they’re collecting points from every possible source. This is how this team can win 50-50 games and reach its goals for the current season.