USC’s Struggles Continue in Heavy Loss to Illinois
In a surprising turn of events, it was hard to tell which team was playing at home during Wednesday’s game at Los Angeles’ Galen Center. With fans in orange overwhelmingly cheering for Illinois, they celebrated the lob dunk that sent the Fighting Illini past the century mark in a 101-65 victory.
This defeat was yet another blow for USC, marking their most significant loss of coach Eric Musselman’s tenure. The No. 10 ranked Fighting Illini showcased dominance on both offense and defense, leaving USC trailing for most of the match.
“We don’t play good basketball at home,” Musselman confessed, reflecting on a season filled with disheartening performances on their home court. This game felt particularly grim, worse than previous losses to Michigan State earlier in the season.
The Trojans (18-8 overall, 7-8 Big Ten) fell behind early and appeared unable to recover. In fact, their record shows a troubling pattern: they’ve now lost as many games at home as they have on the road, including defeats to teams with losing records.
Musselman expressed frustration over the team’s lack of competitiveness, saying, “You can’t compete with top teams without your ‘A’ game. Obviously, we didn’t have even our ‘C’ game tonight.” This sentiment, it seems, highlighted the challenges faced when playing against a team like Illinois.
The opening moments set a grim tone for USC. Illinois center Tomislav Ivicic scored right off the bat, and by halftime, USC found themselves down 54-32 after allowing seven three-pointers. The Illini’s final basket came from another dunk by Ivicic, which seemed to capture the game’s lopsided nature.
What does this loss mean for USC? It’s a significant missed opportunity to bolster their standing for the NCAA Tournament. They came into the day as the last team in the 10th seed according to predictions. Losing isn’t necessarily shameful against a strong team like Illinois, but a win could have helped them step away from the bubble territory.
Musselman remains hopeful, asserting that the Trojans have the potential to be an NCAA Tournament team, but added, “That’s not how we played tonight.”
A Turning Point
Perhaps the turning point of the game was when Illinois arrived in Los Angeles, leaving the Midwest chill behind. Clearly, the Illini were more than equipped for the match against USC. Forward Andrei Stojakovic made a notable comeback, scoring 22 points effortlessly, showing just how much Illinois outperformed the Trojans, who seemed unable to contest even the simplest plays.
Meanwhile, USC guard Ariya Arenas, who had missed practice recently due to illness, struggled on the court, further contributing to the team’s woes.
Highlight Reel
In a particularly memorable moment late in the first half, Illinois guard Kylan Boswell made a spectacular one-handed putback dunk, which the officials initially ruled out. However, upon review, it was clear that the shot should have counted, showcasing some inconsistency in officiating.
What’s Next?
Looking ahead, USC’s next challenge is a home game against a struggling Oregon State team, followed by a pivotal rivalry game against UCLA. The Trojans certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to turn things around before the season concludes.
