Indiana Falls Short at USC Despite Wilkerson’s 33-Point Effort
The Hoosiers came into the Galen Center looking to build momentum, but instead walked away with a tough 81-75 loss to USC in a game that saw early fireworks, second-half surges, and a late push that just wasn’t quite enough.
How It Unfolded
USC came out blazing. The Trojans hit their first seven shots, jumping out to a quick 16-10 lead before Indiana could even settle in.
But credit to the Hoosiers-they weathered the early storm. Jasai Miles gave IU its first lead at 17-16 midway through the first half, and for a while, it looked like we were in for a back-and-forth battle.
That held true until the final minutes of the first half, when Indiana’s offense went ice cold. Over the final 5:14, the Hoosiers didn’t hit a single field goal, going just 1-for-8 from the floor. Combine that with a 6-point deficit at the free throw line and five players picking up two fouls each, and IU found itself trailing 35-30 at halftime.
Lamar Wilkerson was the bright spot early, dropping 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the opening 20 minutes.
Second Half Surge-But Not From Indiana
USC lost its leading scorer, Chad Baker-Mazara, early in the second half to what looked like a lower leg or ankle injury. But even without him, the Trojans didn’t blink. Kam Woods stepped up and buried a pair of threes, including one that stretched USC’s lead to 10 with just under 14 minutes to play.
Indiana head coach Darian DeVries burned two timeouts in a span of two minutes trying to stop the bleeding, but USC kept rolling. Another dagger came from Alijah Arenas, who hit back-to-back threes just after IU had cut the lead to four. That stretch pushed the Trojans back up by 10 with just over five minutes remaining.
By the 3:46 mark, USC had built a 70-59 lead after a strong and-one finish from Ezra Ausar.
Late Push Falls Short
To their credit, the Hoosiers didn’t fold. A 6-0 run brought them within five, and after a pair of Tucker DeVries free throws and a steal on the inbounds, Tayton Conerway’s layup made it 75-73 with under a minute to play.
But the comeback story ran out of pages. Conerway missed the and-one free throw, and USC’s Jordan Marsh calmly sank two from the line to push the lead back to four. On the next IU possession, Ryan Cornish came up with the defensive play of the night, blocking Conerway’s shot and effectively sealing the win for the Trojans.
Standout Performers
Let’s start with Wilkerson-he was sensational. The senior guard poured in 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including five threes and a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. He was the only Hoosier to crack double digits, and frankly, he kept IU in this game.
On the other side, Alijah Arenas had a breakout performance. Coming into the night with just 30 total points in his first four games, the freshman exploded for 29, including some massive shots late that helped USC fend off Indiana’s rally.
By the Numbers
- Perimeter Woes: Indiana went just 10-for-35 from beyond the arc-good for 28.6%. They had some clean looks, but the shots just weren’t falling consistently enough.
- Second-Chance Struggles: USC grabbed 11 offensive boards and turned them into 15 second-chance points.
Indiana managed just six in that category.
- Free Throw Disparity: The Trojans outscored IU by 12 at the line. In a six-point game, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
What’s Next
The Hoosiers head back to Bloomington and will look to regroup before hosting Wisconsin on Saturday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Tipoff is set for noon ET on FOX.
There’s no sugarcoating it-this was a missed opportunity. But if Wilkerson can keep playing at this level and Indiana tightens up some of the little things, they’ll have a shot to bounce back quickly.