GAME NOTES: The second matchup in the quarterfinal round of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament features a battle between the 12th-seeded USC Trojans and the fourth-seeded UCLA Bruins at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The winner advances through to the semifinal round on Friday, with a shot at the conference title match on the line.

USC came back from a deficit to edge out fifth-seeded Arizona State, 67-64, in Wednesday's first-round tournament clash. With the win, the Trojans have now taken two of their last three games going back to the regular season.

UCLA earned the last first-round bye in the conference after an inconsistent regular season. But the Bruins capped the campaign with an 11-7 record against league competition, which featured a three-game win streak to close out the slate. UCLA is trying to repeat last year's conference championship feat.

USC and UCLA, two heated and Los Angeles-based rivals, met twice during the regular season, and neither worked out the way the Trojans would have liked. The Bruins took both decisions, and both were double-digit victories for UCLA separated by well over a month's time.

The Trojans at one point on Wednesday trailed Arizona State by as many as 15 points late in the first half. But USC made things interesting throughout the second period, and took a three-point lead with just around a minute to play. Arizona State's desperate heave at the buzzer missed off the rim, ending the hopes of a conference title for the Sun Devils. Elijah Stewart netted 27 points with five rebounds to lead the charge for USC, while Julian Jacobs added 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists for his team, which shot 52.2 percent from the floor.

The Trojans were able to win even without star guard Jordan McLaughlin, who has been sidelined for just about a month with a dislocated shoulder. Katin Reinhardt entered the postseason as the team's leading scorer at 12.4 ppg, and Nikola Jovanovic added 12.3 ppg with 7.0 rpg headed into Wednesday's opening round. USC is the unlikely candidate to win the conference title, but the Trojans kept the dream alive to face UCLA one more time. USC closed out the regular season against the Bruins, as Reinhardt led the charge with 22 points off the bench in the Trojans' 11-point loss.

UCLA ended its regular season with a convincing 85-74 victory over its next opponent USC, which allowed the Bruins to take a three-game win streak into the league tournament. The short-handed Trojans were able to shoot 55.3 percent from the floor, but it was the Bruins who came away victorious after all five starters scored in double figures. Bryce Alford netted 23 points to pace the team, while Tony Parker added 22 with seven rebounds. Isaac Hamilton chipped in 13 points, Kevon Looney tallied a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Norman Powell registered another 12 points in the win.

Powell led a strong starting lineup for the Bruins during the season with 16.3 ppg, but he was followed close behind by Alford's 15.5 ppg mark. Looney (12.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg), Parker (10.9 ppg) and Hamilton (10.1 ppg) rounded out the team's group of double-digit scorers during the regular season. UCLA as a unit comes into the postseason averaging 71.5 ppg on 43.5 percent shooting, and is seeking its fifth Pac-12 title, which would separate the program from Arizona for most in the league.

The Bruins are superior on the offensive end, and regular-season indications don't support the notion of USC being able to keep up. In the end, UCLA's starting lineup should be able to out muscle and out grind the Trojans.