Taking nothing away from USC (who were a ridiculous 63% on 3-pointers), the Cougs hung tough despite what seemed like some good old-fashioned, L.A. home-cookin' served up by the officials. (I'm a Coug - I HAVE to complain about the refs.) The officiating was inconsistent at best, calling several very questionable fouls on the Cougs early on, while overlooking many more obvious calls (like Daven Harmeling using one Trojan as a step ladder on a second-half layup) later in the game.

Referees aside, it did seem like USC had more bounce in their step and they did a very nice job guarding the perimeter and taking away the post. For the Cougs, it was about as sloppy as I've seen them play all year. They just could not establish any kind of rhythm on offense and turned the ball over 11 times. I was shocked to see that we actually out-rebounded them 30-24, although I'm willing to bet the Trojans held the advantage in second-chance points. With the final margin of victory only 9 points, this was clearly a winnable game.

I read an article the other day quoting Lute Olson as he spoke about how much he despised the conference tournament. His argument is that the teams that emerge from a tough conference schedule should not have to prove themselves again in tournament play. On one hand, I completely agree with him. The teams that come out on top after conference play have little to gain and everything to lose, in terms of post-season seeding. However, for teams like the Cougs and Trojans, who are less-seasoned in post-season play, this experience is invaluable as they enter the NCAA tournament.

Particularly for the Cougs, who are unaccustomed to playing as a favorite in a "one-and-done" atmosphere, this latest loss should be a valuable lesson. Fortunately, a high seed in the NCAA tournament is a pretty nice consolation prize.

Just remember: after the next loss, it's baseball season.

Go Cougs!