USC Rallies Late Behind Freshman Composure, Baker-Mazara’s Scoring to Stun Wisconsin on the Road
With 2.1 seconds left on the clock and the Kohl Center crowd in full throat for Wisconsin’s annual “White Out,” Jerry Easter II stood alone at the free throw line. The USC freshman didn’t flinch.
Two calm dribbles, a deep breath, and a swish. Then another.
And just like that, Easter sealed a gutsy road win for the Trojans - a win that didn’t just stop the bleeding after a tough loss to Northwestern, but may have breathed new life into USC’s Big Ten campaign.
“We felt the urgency,” USC head coach Eric Musselman said postgame. “That’s a really good team we beat tonight. This was huge for us.”
Make no mistake - this was a game the Trojans had every reason to let slip away. Down 12 with 12 minutes to go, USC looked like it was on the ropes.
Wisconsin had just uncorked a 17-2 run, and the Trojans had made just one field goal in over six minutes. But instead of folding, USC found another gear.
It started with hustle. Easter kept a possession alive with back-to-back offensive rebounds, and Jacob Cofie finally cashed in with a putback.
That bucket cracked the door open. Then came free throws from Easter and Ezra Ausar.
Then a jumper from Chad Baker-Mazara - his first in a while after five straight misses - and suddenly, the floodgates opened.
Baker-Mazara Takes Over
Baker-Mazara went from cold to scorching in a hurry. He scored nine of USC’s next 11 points during a critical 16-2 run, including a highlight-reel step-back three that left his defender sliding into the paint. That shot gave USC the lead back and silenced the crowd - not an easy task in Madison.
From there, it was a back-and-forth battle. Wisconsin kept punching, but USC kept answering. Ausar gave the Trojans the lead for good with under three minutes to play, then added a clutch layup with 1:23 left to make it a two-possession game.
Wisconsin had one last chance. Down two with 14 seconds left, the Badgers put the ball in the hands of Nick Boyd, their leading scorer.
But USC’s freshman duo of Alijah Arenas and Easter had other plans. Arenas funneled Boyd to his right, and Easter met him at the rim, getting a piece of the ball on a reverse layup attempt.
Easter grabbed the rebound, got fouled, and calmly knocked down both free throws to ice it.
Freshmen Deliver in the Clutch
Easter only played 12 minutes, but he made every one of them count. The Trojans were +11 with him on the floor - the best mark of any player in the game.
He finished with four points, four rebounds, a steal, and a perfect 4-for-4 mark from the line. His defensive stop and clutch free throws in the final seconds were the kind of plays that don’t show up in highlight reels but win you games.
Arenas also deserves credit for his defense on Boyd in the final possession. It was a moment where USC’s youth didn’t just hold up - it rose to the occasion.
Stat of the Night: Turnovers and Toughness
USC has struggled all season with ball security, averaging 12.5 turnovers per game. But for the second straight outing, they cleaned it up - just five turnovers, leading to only four points for the Badgers. That kind of discipline on the road is how you win tight games in hostile environments.
On the flip side, Wisconsin dominated the offensive glass, pulling down 18 offensive rebounds and turning them into 18 second-chance points. At one point in the second half, they had five (possibly six) offensive boards on a single possession - and still came away empty. It was a wild sequence that underscored how much effort it took for USC to survive.
Player of the Game: Chad Baker-Mazara
Baker-Mazara put the Trojans on his back when they needed it most. He finished with 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, including five threes.
He added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 38 minutes - and, crucially, stayed out of foul trouble. USC was +7 with him on the court, and his scoring outburst turned the tide in the second half.
What This Win Means
USC needed a statement win, and this qualifies. Wisconsin came in riding a five-game winning streak, including a road win at then-No.
2 Michigan. The Badgers were No. 38 in the NET rankings, making this a coveted Quadrant 1 win - USC’s first of the season.
It also changes the narrative in the Big Ten standings. With 12 minutes left, USC was staring at a 3-6 conference record.
Instead, they’re now 4-5 and back in the mix. It’s a momentum-builder, the kind of win that can galvanize a team heading into the heart of the conference schedule.
What’s Next
The Trojans stay on the road, heading to Iowa City for a Wednesday matchup against the Hawkeyes (14-5, 4-4). Iowa is coached by Ben McCollum, who brought six players with him from Drake - four of whom are now starters. That includes Bennett Stirtz (18.3 ppg) and Tavion Banks (10.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg), who have helped Iowa become one of the more intriguing teams in the Big Ten.
Another road test awaits. But if USC’s freshmen keep playing with this kind of poise, and Baker-Mazara keeps filling it up, the Trojans might be turning a corner.