NCAA Tournament 2017, SMU vs USC: Highlights, score and recap

The SMU Mustangs had hopes of being a dark horse March Madness contender, but the USC Trojans remained the comeback kings with a huge upset.

One of the potential dark horses in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the SMU Mustangs entered March Madness having won 19-straight games in the regular season and the AAC Tournament. However, their First Round matchup put them up against one of only four teams to beat them on the season: the USC Trojans.

SMU jumped out to an early lead against the Trojans and seemed like they might run away with things behind the efforts of star forward Semi Ojeleye. However, USC’s sophomore forward Bennie Boatwright and junior guard Elijah Stewart weren’t about to let their No. 11-seeded Trojans go down without a fight. Using some big defensive stops, they stopped the early bleeding and went into halftime trailing by only eight points.

Right out of the locker room, USC continued what they were starting at the end of the first 20 minutes, cutting into SMU’s lead. However, a huge dunk from Ojeleye on a putback seemingly swung momentum back in favor of the Mustangs. They were able to go on a run and ultimately earn their lead back.

Down the home stretch of the second half, though, Stewart’s long-range shooting and Boatwright’s overall effort again were catalysts for the Trojans. They allowed USC to go on a 9-1 run at one point and make a game of it down the stretch, setting the stage for high drama.

Related: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket

Shake Milton for SMU and Stewart for USC kept trading big blows down the stretch in regards to 3-point shots. That caused the lead to jostle back and forth, with Stewart hitting the biggest jumper of the game from the corner to go up 66-65. A missed free throw by Ben Moore forced SMU to foul, but USC then missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Mustangs one last look at a winner. Sterling Brown drove into the lane and had a look, but left it short as time ran out, giving the Trojans the one-point upset win.

Next: 28 Most Memorable Buzzer Beaters in March Madness History

Highlights

Three Stars

Elijah Stewart, USC – Stewart stepped up big for the Trojans with his outside shooting, finishing with 22 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks while going 6-of-13 on his 3-point shooting.

Semi Ojeleye, SMU – The big forward for the Mustangs was a monster as he put up 24 points, 10 rebounds and one steal in the losing effort.

Bennie Boatwright, USC – Just recently having returned from injury, the Trojans sophomore put up 14 points and six rebounds while being a steadying force in the comeback win.