Alijah Arenas Arrives: Freshman Drops 29 as USC Outlasts Indiana in Pivotal Big Ten Win
Heading into Tuesday night’s clash with Indiana, USC freshman guard Alijah Arenas had yet to find his rhythm. Four games into his college career, he hadn’t cracked double figures once. But against the Hoosiers, the former five-star recruit didn’t just find his footing - he planted his flag.
Arenas exploded for 29 points and six rebounds, leading the Trojans to a critical win over Indiana (15-8, 6-6 Big Ten) and showing exactly why there was so much buzz around his name coming into the season. The offense flowed through him all night - slicing through double teams, setting up teammates, and playing with the kind of confidence that hadn’t been seen from him yet in a USC uniform.
“I made a conscious effort against Northwestern to start [Arenas] and not bring him along slowly,” said Head Coach Eric Musselman after the game. “I don’t regret that at all because we knew it would pan out sometime in the first five to six games. It worked out tonight.”
That decision paid off in a big way. Arenas’ breakout couldn’t have come at a better time, especially with graduate forward Chad Baker-Mazara - USC’s leading scorer at 18.3 points per game - going down early in the second half after Indiana’s Sam Alexis landed on his leg. Baker-Mazara’s status moving forward remains uncertain, but on Tuesday, Arenas stepped up and filled the void like a seasoned vet.
After the final buzzer, Musselman was so fired up he joined the USC student section to celebrate with his players. It was that kind of night.
“My team kept me level-headed, kept me together,” Arenas said. “Honestly, without my team, I kind of start losing myself, which is why I’m grateful to have them.”
Arenas wasn’t the only Trojan to make a major impact. Graduate guard Kam Woods played all 40 minutes, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds.
Woods, who’s struggled from deep this season, picked the perfect time to heat up - drilling two big threes midway through the second half that stretched USC’s lead to 14, their largest of the game. The Galen Center crowd erupted.
“Kam knows what I want,” Musselman said. “He’s on the same wavelength with my thought process … I don’t know where our season would be if we hadn’t picked up Kam when we did.”
Still, Indiana didn’t go away quietly. Senior guard Lamar Wilkerson poured in a game-high 33 points, keeping the Hoosiers within striking distance with timely threes and relentless energy. Even as USC went on 8- and 10-point runs, Indiana’s full-court press and perimeter shooting kept the pressure on.
Things got dicey late for the Trojans when senior forward Ezra Ausar and sophomore forward Jacob Cofie both fouled out in the final two minutes. That left freshman guard Jerry Easter II and graduate guard Ryan Cornish - just returning from a toe injury - to hold the line.
And they did. Cornish came up with a crucial block to preserve a two-possession lead, and Arenas and junior guard Jordan Marsh sealed the deal at the free-throw line. Marsh, who hadn’t played since injuring his toe in practice, checked in for just a minute - but it was a big one.
“To think that Chad wouldn’t play a second half and those other two guys foul out, and then we still found a way to win,” Musselman said. “This game is not worth [just] one game.
There’s bubble implications tonight. There’s Big Ten standings implications.
There’s tiebreaker implications. So, a big win.”
Outside of Wilkerson, Indiana struggled to find consistent offense. No other Hoosier hit double digits, though senior guard Conor Enright helped keep things moving with eight assists.
USC’s edge came on the glass - and it wasn’t close. The Trojans out-rebounded Indiana 40-25, with big efforts from junior center Gabe Dynes, Ausar, Woods, and Arenas. That physicality on the boards gave them second-chance opportunities and helped control the pace when things got tight.
Coming off a nail-biter against Rutgers, this win gives the Trojans (17-6, 6-6) a much-needed jolt as they fight for position in a crowded Big Ten. They now sit just behind Ohio State and Indiana in the standings, with two road games on deck: first at Penn State (10-12, 1-10), then a key matchup at Ohio State (14-7, 6-5) that could have major implications for seeding and bubble status.
Next stop: University Park, Pennsylvania. Tip-off against the Nittany Lions is set for Sunday at 9 a.m. And if Tuesday night was any indication, Alijah Arenas is ready for the moment.