USC Outlasts Indiana Behind Rebounding Edge and Cold Shooting Night for Hoosiers
LOS ANGELES - Indiana came into Galen Center hoping to close out its West Coast swing on a high note. Instead, the Hoosiers ran into a USC team that owned the glass, took advantage of second-chance opportunities, and held off a heroic effort from Lamar Wilkerson to hand IU an 81-75 loss on Tuesday night.
Let’s break down how this one got away from Indiana - and why Wilkerson’s big night wasn’t enough.
1. Wilkerson Goes Off, But He’s on an Island
Lamar Wilkerson showed up in a big way. The senior guard poured in 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting, doing everything he could to keep Indiana within striking distance.
He attacked the rim, knocked down shots from the perimeter, and made trips to the line count. But the problem?
He didn’t get much help.
Wilkerson was the only Hoosier in double figures. The rest of the team combined to shoot just 34.8% from the field - a tough number to overcome, especially on the road. Indiana’s two other key scoring threats, Nick Dorn and Tucker DeVries, struggled mightily from deep, going a combined 3-for-20 from beyond the arc.
Basketball is a team game, and when one guy is carrying the scoring load while the rest of the offense sputters, it puts too much pressure on both ends. Wilkerson’s night was special, but it needed to be part of a bigger collective effort that just wasn’t there.
2. USC Wins the Battle of the Boards - Decisively
This game may have been decided in the trenches - or more specifically, on the glass.
USC outrebounded Indiana 40-25, and that gap told the story. The Trojans consistently got second chances, pulling down 11 offensive boards and turning those into 15 second-chance points. The Hoosiers, meanwhile, struggled to finish defensive possessions, especially in the first half when USC’s energy on the boards set the tone.
It wasn’t just about size - it was about effort and positioning. Indiana looked a step slow for much of the night, and that showed up in the rebounding numbers. When you’re not shooting well, you can sometimes make up for it with hustle plays, but USC beat IU to the punch in that category all night.
3. Cold Shooting and a Quiet Night from Deep
Indiana’s shooting woes weren’t just a subplot - they were a headline. The Hoosiers shot just 41.3% from the field and 28.6% from three, and those numbers felt even colder in the game’s key moments.
There were open looks that didn’t fall, rushed attempts late in the shot clock, and stretches where the offense simply couldn’t find rhythm. The one bright spot was the free throw line, where Indiana hit 13-of-16. But they didn’t get there often enough, especially compared to USC, who attempted 31 free throws on the night.
Late tip-offs on the West Coast can be tough, especially at the tail end of a road swing, and Indiana looked like a team that didn’t have its legs under it. The shots that normally fall just weren’t dropping - and when that happens, every other flaw gets magnified.
What’s Next
Indiana drops to 15-8 overall and 6-6 in conference play. The Hoosiers will look to regroup quickly with a big one coming up - they host Wisconsin on Saturday in what’s shaping up to be a critical game for conference positioning.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Wilkerson continues to prove he can be a go-to scorer. But for Indiana to make a serious push down the stretch, they’ll need more balance, more grit on the boards, and better execution in the halfcourt.
This one stings, but the season’s far from over.