USC Survives Late Collapse, Holds Off Rutgers in 78-75 Thriller
LOS ANGELES - For 35 minutes, USC looked like a team in control. For the final five, it looked like a team desperately trying not to lose. In the end, the Trojans escaped with a 78-75 win over Rutgers at the Galen Center - but not before giving their fans a serious scare.
Leading 74-57 with just 4:34 left on the clock, USC seemed to be cruising. Then the wheels came off.
Rutgers applied full-court pressure, and the Trojans unraveled. Four turnovers, a pair of missed free throws, and a missed floater later, the Scarlet Knights had the ball with a chance to tie in the final seconds.
That’s when Chad Baker-Mazara, who had just missed a potential dagger floater, redeemed himself. With Rutgers threatening to force overtime, Baker-Mazara stripped Tariq Francis on the final possession, sealing a win that felt far more dramatic than it ever needed to be.
“We got the win, but we’ve got a lot to clean up,” USC head coach Eric Musselman said after the game - and he wasn’t wrong.
A Game of Runs - and a Wild Finish
USC led 40-30 at halftime and came out firing to start the second half. Baker-Mazara hit a three that rattled around the rim before dropping, sandwiched between a pair of triples from Alijah Arenas. That burst pushed the lead to 49-32, and when Ezra Ausar turned a steal into a fast-break layup, Rutgers called timeout, trailing by 19 with 16:06 to go.
To their credit, the Scarlet Knights never quit. They chipped away at the lead, cutting it to single digits multiple times, but USC kept them at arm’s length - until the final minutes.
That’s when the press came, and with it, the chaos. USC’s offense stalled, and Rutgers capitalized.
Francis, who led all scorers with 26 points, poured in 17 in the second half and nearly willed his team all the way back. But Baker-Mazara’s defensive play in the final seconds was the difference.
Ezra Ausar Delivers When It Counts
The player of the game? That’s Ezra Ausar, without question.
Ausar finished with 21 points, including 12 in the final 8:25 - essentially carrying USC down the stretch when things got tight. He drew eight fouls, lived at the free-throw line, and knocked down 9-of-11 from the stripe. In a game that came down to a single possession, those free throws loomed large.
“He was a force,” Musselman said. “That was one of his best offensive performances of the year.”
Ausar’s physicality and poise were critical, especially when the Trojans’ backcourt struggled to handle the press. While others faltered, he kept attacking and making plays.
Supporting Cast Steps Up Early
Baker-Mazara added 17 points, including a few timely buckets early in the second half that helped USC build its cushion. And freshman forward Jacob Cofie was rock solid in the first half, scoring 12 of his 15 points before the break on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting performance.
Cofie’s early efficiency gave USC a much-needed interior presence, and his confidence continues to grow with each outing.
Shooting Efficiency Saves the Day
Despite the late-game meltdown, USC’s shooting was a bright spot. The Trojans hit 51 percent from the field - well above their season average - and held Rutgers to just 39 percent. That shooting edge proved to be the difference, especially with the game tightening late.
Still, Musselman made it clear: this wasn’t the kind of closeout performance he wants to see from his team.
Press Break Problems Persist
The biggest concern coming out of this one? USC’s inability to handle pressure.
Rutgers’ press completely changed the game, and Musselman said it gave him a clearer picture of who he can trust in late-game situations. Notably, Alijah Arenas - who had sparked USC’s second-half surge - didn’t play in the final 11:37. Instead, Jerry Easter was on the floor, but he committed a costly turnover and a late shooting foul during the collapse.
Expect Musselman to revisit those rotations moving forward, especially in tight games where ball security becomes paramount.
What’s Next: A Big One Against Indiana
The schedule doesn’t ease up. USC will host Indiana on Tuesday in a matchup with serious NCAA Tournament implications. The Hoosiers are coming off a double-overtime win over UCLA and bring a 15-7 (6-5 Big Ten) record into the Galen Center.
Led by Lamar Wilkerson - who’s averaging 19.4 points per game - Indiana is one of the more efficient offensive teams in the conference. They entered the weekend ranked 29th nationally in effective field goal percentage and are hitting 10.6 threes per game, good for 23rd in the country.
For USC, that means two things: they’ll need to defend the perimeter, and they’ll need to close better than they did on Saturday.
The win over Rutgers moves USC to 16-6 overall and 5-6 in Big Ten play. It won’t do much to move the needle on their tournament résumé, but in a long season, sometimes survival is enough - especially when it comes with lessons that can be applied in the games that matter most.
One thing’s for sure: if USC wants to stay in the NCAA Tournament conversation, they’ll have to be a lot sharper down the stretch. The margin for error is shrinking, and the Hoosiers are coming to town.