Let’s be nice here and say that ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ played so inadequately in Thursday’s 64-46 loss to an unremarkable UCLA team that Wildcat coach Adia Barnes referred to her team as the “Bad ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bears.â€
I’m not so sure that was being nice to the original Bad ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bears coach Morris Buttermaker, may he rest in peace. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ was so, shall we say, off of its game Thursday that it shot 28% from the field and was out-rebounded 48-26 — at home — by a team that is going to be a No. 7 seed in this week’s Pac-12 Tournament.
And yet the Wildcats were worse early Saturday, trailing an even less remarkable USC team 16-6 after one quarter.
It was the Really Bad ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bears. Incredibly, in its last 15 possessions of the quarter, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ did not make a field goal. The Wildcats were 0 for 13 with four turnovers and four air-balls.
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“I think the players felt a little bit of pressure,†Barnes would say 90 minutes later. “It was a must-win game. I’m not going to sugarcoat it.â€
Pressure? ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has raised expectations to such a high level that Saturday’s crowd of 8,256 sat in stunned silence, exasperated. How do you go from 13 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 to a striking resemblance to Barnes’ 6-24 team of 2017-18?
Barnes said that Thursday’s loss “lit the fire†for Saturday’s Senior Day. It must’ve been a delayed fuse.
Finally, in the last 1:22 of the first half, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ went BOOM!
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ outscored USC 10-0 in those final 82 seconds to take a 34-33 halftime lead, winning 68-59, to all but clinch home-court advantage in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Talk about high stakes.
“Psychologically, it was a really good win for us,†said Barnes. “We’re very different without our best player.â€
That would be senior forward Cate Reese, whose 14-point and 6-rebound averages are sidelined as she recovers from a separated shoulder suffered six days earlier.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ guard Taylor Chavez bangs the drum after leading ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to a 68-59 win over USC.
Somewhere, somehow, Barnes and her assistant coaches, Salvo Coppa, Erin Grant and Ashley Davis, had to find someone to replace Reese’s production. On Saturday, they found it in the least likely place.
What were the odds that junior guard Taylor Chavez, averaging 1.7 points and shooting 29% — sidelined much of the season with concussion and hip issues to the extent that she had only scored three points in the last 13 games — would step forward to all but hand her coach home-court advantage on the first weekend of the Big Dance?
Chavez scored 18 points in 17 minutes. She not only lit the fuse, she made you forget the Bad ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bears. Chavez, who was the first player off the bench for Oregon’s 31-2 Pac-12 championship juggernaut of 2019-20, swished five 3-pointers in such quick order that she broke USC’s almost impenetrable zone defense by herself.
Without her explosive shooting, the offense-challenged Wildcats seemed destined for another 60-something to 40-something loss.
“Taylor is confident, she is smart, she is a great teammate,†said Barnes. “I’m so happy she’s here. I love coaching her.â€
Chavez played no part in Thursday’s breakdown against UCLA. She was not in uniform. And even if she did suit up for Senior Day, what were the odds of her being a positive force? Her high point total this season was six, against Texas Southern.
Amazingly, she scored seven points Saturday in the final 1:07 of the first half. Talk about being ready when called upon.
Asked if she thought it would be a lost season for her, Chavez said: “not at all.â€

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ forward Koi Love gets a handful from USC forward Jordan Sanders during the second half of Saturday's game.
“I remember my first year at Oregon I think I was 0 for 12 in three or four games, just the biggest funk. But the best way to get out of a funk is to shoot your way out of it. It’s about sticking to it.â€
This time she stuck it to the Trojans.
What next? ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ must play the Colorado-Washington winner in Thursday’s Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals. If it wins that game, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ would almost surely be bracketed with old nemesis Stanford, the undefeated league champion, 16-0.
Between now and then, Barnes and her assistants must find a working strategy that will overcome the UA’s recent first-quarter blues; the Wildcats not only trailed USC 16-4 at one point Saturday, but down the stretch fell behind UCLA 19-8 in the first quarter, trailed Colorado 17-7 and scored just eight points in the first quarter against last-place Washington.
If any part of the Bad ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bears resurfaces in March, it could be a quick trip home from the NCAA Tournament.
“We play in a must-win situation in a couple of days,†said Barnes. “We better get used to it now. That’s going to be our world from now on.â€
Photos: After slow start, Wildcats rally to beat USC on Senior Day
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) let out screams as ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ catches up to USC in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats guard Bendu Yeaney (23) eyes the basket over USC Trojans center Clarice Akunwafo (34) and USC Trojans guard Desiree Caldwell (24) in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) makes a drive towards the basket as USC Trojans guard Rayah Marshall (13) and USC Trojans guard Desiree Caldwell (24) defend in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

USC Trojans forward Jordan Sanders (5) is defended by ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) follows USC Trojans forward Jordan Sanders (5) in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats guard Shaina Pellington (1) eyes the basket as USC Trojans guard Rayah Marshall (13) and USC Trojans forward Jordan Sanders (5) defend in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ forward Sam Thomas blocks the shot of USC forward Jordan Sanders during Saturday's first half. The UA senior is Pac-12 Hotline analyst Jeff Metcalfe's choice for Pac-12 defensive player of the year.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) releases the ball as USC Trojans guard Rayah Marshall (13) defends in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) eyes the basket as USC Trojans guard Kyra White (22) defends in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) gets pumped after hitting a three-pointer in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) eyes the basket as she's surrounded by USC defenders in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) is defended by USC Trojans center Clarice Akunwafo (34) in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats guard Taylor Chavez (3) eyes the basket for her first three-pointer of the game in the first half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes talks to her team in a huddle in the first half during a game against USC at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Koi Love (5) gets a handful from USC Trojans forward Jordan Sanders (5) in the second half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

Salvo Coppa, assistant coach, talks to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) in the second half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ fell to No. 20 nationally in the latest AP poll, but is still projected by ESPN to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament next week.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

USC Trojans guard Desiree Caldwell (24) defends ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats guard Taylor Chavez (3) in the second half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats guard Madison Conner (4) and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) embrace as Thomas leaves the court for the last time in the second half during a game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats guard Taylor Chavez (3) hits the drum after the team's win against USC at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
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Sharpshooter Madison Conner (4) returns as part of a revamped Wildcats roster.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Cate Reese (25) becomes emotional as the Senior Day festivities begin at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won beat USC 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats guard Bendu Yeaney (23) annouces to the crowd that she will return next season to play basketball at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes escorts ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Ariyah Copeland (22) and her dog, Drew, onto center court as part of Senior Day at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes poses for a photo with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats center Semaj Smith (34) and her neice as part of Senior Day festivities at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) is escorted by her parents, Derek and Julie, onto center court as part of the Senior Day festivities at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) waves to the crowd after receiving her jersey in a frame as part of the Senior Day festivities at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ won 68-59.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats forward Sam Thomas thanks the crowd during her speech on Senior Day.
USC at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women's Basketball

A fan holds up a sign to thank the women's team on their last home game at McKale Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on February 26, 2022. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ beat USC 68-59.