Pac-10 semis: Mayo's last-second attempt comes up short in defeat
The freshman guard brought USC back from a nine-point deficit but couldn't convert at the end of the Trojans' 57-54 loss to UCLA.
Peter Simones
Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: Sports
He drew his team back from a late deficit, had the ball in his hands with time winding down and had a chance to send the rubber match against his team's cross-town rival into overtime.
The only element missing from O.J. Mayo's story was the exhilarating finale.
With 23.9 seconds remaining and his team down by three points, Mayo let the clock tick while he worked to create an open look. He eventually found it - a 3-point attempt from the top of the key over UCLA guard Josh Shipp - but the shot hit the back of the rim, ending the game 57-54 in the Bruins' favor.
"I thought I made it. It felt good coming off," said Mayo, who finished the night with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.
USC coach Tim Floyd said the final possession, which curiously took all the remaining time off the clock, was designed to be a play for guard Dwight Lewis.
"It's something we've run several times," Floyd said.
Mayo was supposed to be the decoy, drawing defenders to him while Lewis would flash open off a screen. Once he received the ball, Lewis would have the option to take a 3-pointer or drive for a quick layup.
UCLA (30-3, 16-2 Pac-10) overplayed the screen, however, causing the play to break down and forcing Mayo to improvise.
"I was definitely surprised," Shipp said of USC's last possession. "When he missed the shot, they didn't have time for another one."
With six minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the game, a last-second chance to tie appeared to be a remote possibility for USC, as the Trojans (21-11, 11-7) had only scored nine points in the 13-plus minutes since halftime.
But Mayo, who had struggled with his shot throughout the game, missing several open looks in both halves, finally found a rhythm.
He scored his first points of the second half on a layup with just over four minutes left, then hit a 3 on the following possession and capped his mini-run with an improbable twisting layup to cut the UCLA lead to 2.
The only element missing from O.J. Mayo's story was the exhilarating finale.
With 23.9 seconds remaining and his team down by three points, Mayo let the clock tick while he worked to create an open look. He eventually found it - a 3-point attempt from the top of the key over UCLA guard Josh Shipp - but the shot hit the back of the rim, ending the game 57-54 in the Bruins' favor.
"I thought I made it. It felt good coming off," said Mayo, who finished the night with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.
USC coach Tim Floyd said the final possession, which curiously took all the remaining time off the clock, was designed to be a play for guard Dwight Lewis.
"It's something we've run several times," Floyd said.
Mayo was supposed to be the decoy, drawing defenders to him while Lewis would flash open off a screen. Once he received the ball, Lewis would have the option to take a 3-pointer or drive for a quick layup.
UCLA (30-3, 16-2 Pac-10) overplayed the screen, however, causing the play to break down and forcing Mayo to improvise.
"I was definitely surprised," Shipp said of USC's last possession. "When he missed the shot, they didn't have time for another one."
With six minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the game, a last-second chance to tie appeared to be a remote possibility for USC, as the Trojans (21-11, 11-7) had only scored nine points in the 13-plus minutes since halftime.
But Mayo, who had struggled with his shot throughout the game, missing several open looks in both halves, finally found a rhythm.
He scored his first points of the second half on a layup with just over four minutes left, then hit a 3 on the following possession and capped his mini-run with an improbable twisting layup to cut the UCLA lead to 2.
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