No. 21 USC had to grind for it, but the Trojans left Stateline, Nev., with a 93-86 win over Wichita State on Sunday night in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic at Tahoe Blue Arena.
This one had plenty of teeth. The game was physical from the jump, the whistles kept coming, and USC won the kind of possession battle that usually decides these tight ones. The Trojans forced 20 turnovers, gave it away just 10 times, and turned the free-throw line into a major edge, finishing 37-for-42 while Wichita State went 25-for-36.
Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas were the headliners. Rice poured in a career-high 32 points, and Arenas added a career-best 30, giving USC two 30-point scorers in the same game for the second time in program history. Rice also tied his season high with nine assists.
USC’s night started with Rice setting the tone. He scored five of the Trojans’ first nine points as they jumped ahead 9-3, and when Wichita State opened 2-for-10 from the field, Arenas took over with seven straight points before Jacob Cofie finished a layup to stretch the lead to its biggest point of the night at that stage.
Wichita State didn’t stay quiet for long. The Shockers answered with a 6-0 burst in 32 seconds, then tied it at 20 on their third made three-pointer of the half. Their outside shooting kept USC under pressure, and by the time the first half settled down, Wichita State had hit 58.3% of its threes and built an 11-point advantage.
USC didn’t let that margin last. With less than four minutes left before halftime, the Trojans ripped off a 9-0 run to pull within 41-39, then tied it at 43 with a late free-throw push. Wichita State still found one last bucket before the break, as Jordan Frison scored at the buzzer to send the Shockers into halftime up 45-43.
Rice came out firing again to open the second half, stringing together a personal 7-0 run that put USC in front by five before Wichita State got on the board. From there, KJ Lewis kept swinging the game USC’s way with plays on both ends.
He picked off a pass with 12:07 left, split a one-and-one to give USC a one-point edge, then grabbed an Adonis Ratliff miss for a layup on the next trip. Later, after diving for a loose ball and drawing a foul with 9:20 remaining, Lewis knocked down both free throws to make it 66-62.
The Trojans finally created some separation when the game was tied at 66 with eight minutes left. USC answered with a 7-0 run, highlighted by Darius Ratliff banking in a three from the left wing and Arenas scoring back-to-back baskets. Wichita State never fully recovered, going scoreless for nearly two minutes and managing only four more field goals over the final 5:43.
Even when the Shockers trimmed the margin to three four different times, Rice kept USC steady. He scored nine points in the final five minutes and went 5-for-5 at the line late as the Trojans closed it out by making 8 of their final 9 free throws.
Wichita State got 17 points apiece from William Berg and Jordan Frison, and four Shockers finished in double figures. But USC’s balance and late-game execution carried the night. Nine of the 11 Trojans who played scored, and USC held Wichita State to 28.6% shooting from three in the second half after the Shockers went 7-for-12 from deep in the opening half.
The Trojans now head to California on Wednesday, Nov. 11, to finish the two-game road trip. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
USC’s starting five was Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas, Jacob Cofie, Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff, and that group is now 2-0 on the season. USC is 4-1 all-time against Wichita State, while head coach Eric Musselman is 1-1 against the Shockers.
Cofie also recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while adding two steals and a block. For Wichita State, the 20 turnovers marked a sharp change from its season opener, when it had just three, and it was the first time the Shockers had reached 20 or more turnovers since Jan. 23, 2025.
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