Men's Basketball | July 08, 2019
Jack Lovrich, who played on USC's 1954 NCAA Final Four basketball team and on the Trojans' 1955 College World Series baseball squad, died on Tuesday (July 2) of natural causes in Torrance, Calif. He was 85.
A memorial service will be held on Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. at St. Francis Episcopal Church (2200 Via Rosa, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. 90274).
Lovrich was a 3-year (1954-55-56) letterman center on the Trojan basketball team. The 1954 squad won the league title and finished fourth in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 2.1 points as a sophomore in 1954 and then 3.5 points and 1.9 rebounds as a 1955 junior, both years serving as a backup. He was the team's Most Inspirational Player as a 1956 senior starter and won the team's top free throw shooter award that season (79.5%) while averaging 9.8 points and 7.2 rebounds.
He also was a 3-year (1953-54-55) letterman pitcher in baseball. The Trojans won the conference title each season he played and advanced to the College World Series in his 1955 senior campaign. He posted a 3-3 record with a 3.67 ERA as a 1953 sophomore, then was 3-0 with a 3.08 ERA in 1954 and 0-1 in 1955.
He came to USC from San Pedro (Calif.) High.
After USC, he was a pharmacist in San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes (Calif.).
He is survived by his wife Gale and daughters Marni Lovrich and Diana Behrendsen.
His older brother, Tom, was an All-Conference pitcher for the Trojan in 1950-51-52.