No. 24 USC Men's Basketball Defeats Ducks 82-77 For First Big Ten Win

Tuesday, December 2

Eugene, Ore.

7 p.m.

USC

8-0,1-0Big Ten

Oregon

4-4,0-1Big Ten

Southern California

Oregon

No. 24 USC Men's Basketball Defeats Ducks 82-77 For First Big Ten Win

December 02, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Highlights Press Conference

The Trojans won their eighth-straight game, led by Chad Baker-Mazara's 25 points.

EUGENE, Ore. – No. 24 USC Men's Basketball (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) opened Big Ten play with an 82-77 win against the Oregon Ducks (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten) in Eugene on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

In the third straight conference-opener between the two teams, the Trojans prevailed thanks to five players finishing in double-figures for the third time this season. Chad Baker-Mazara led the team with 25 points for his fourth game with 20 or more points this season. Jacob Cofie scored 16 of his 17 points in the first half to give USC an early spark, while Ezra Ausar took over late by scoring all 13 points in the second half. Jerry Easter II and Jaden Brownell rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points each.

As a team, USC connected on 51.9% of its field goals and out-rebounded Oregon by a 34-27 margin. The Trojans' defense and rebounding improved in the second half: USC only allowed Oregon to connect on 25% (2-for-8) of its threes, plus the Trojans doubled up the Ducks on the boards, winning the rebounding battle 23-12.

HOW IT HAPPENED
USC shrugged off a slow start off the tip, going scoreless in the first few minutes before Jacob Cofie single-handedly crafted a 5-0 run on three consecutive possessions. He knocked down a three-pointer, drew a charge, and scored down low on the other end to make it 5-4 at 16:06. The next two minutes of action saw the Trojans and Ducks trading buckets, capped by a Jaden Brownell dagger from downtown. Oregon shot off to a 7-0 run until Jerry Easter II had a tough finish at the basket to cut the deficit to 17-12.

With 10 minutes to go, Cofie put up another basket from the paint, and Chad Baker-Mazara pulled up from the elbow to make it 16-20. Three-point shooting from Brownell, Cofie and Baker-Mazara pulled USC back in the game, yet Oregon countered with threes of its own. Seven back-to-back shots from beyond the arc were made in the Trojan-Duck triple trade. With four minutes left in the half, Ryan Cornish notched his first points of the season off a quick layup on a back cut, and Baker-Mazara then converted a three-point play to get the Trojans within a five-point margin.

Cofie fired off the next six points to bring USC within one. With a free throw from Easter and a layup off a stolen inbound pass from Baker-Mazara, the Trojans took their first lead of the game, 39-37. With one possession left, Oregon sank a contested mid-range jumper, and the score was tied 39-39 at the half.

To start the second frame, Baker-Mazara and Ausar sailed from end to end, delivering at the rim on two consecutive possessions to put USC up 43-39. Despite mounting back-court pressure, Brownell splashed his third three-pointer of the evening at 17:18. Easter rolled in two layups — separated by a Duck three-point play — to give USC the 51-47 advantage.

Both teams locked it down on defense, with neither the Trojans nor the Ducks hitting a field goal for the next three minutes. Cornish ended the scoring drought, nailing a shot from downtown on the right wing, pushing USC out 56-50. Both teams struggled to play against the whistle, as Oregon found themselves in the bonus with over 10 minutes left, and the Trojans earned shots at the charity stripe on the next play.

Oregon nabbed a 61-60 lead off a dropped-in free throw at 8:03, but the Trojans didn't stay down for long. Ausar went to work in the paint, getting fouled on a made floater. He completed the three-point play to give USC a 63-61 edge. The Ducks and Trojans both made free throws, but Brownell made the Cardinal 'N Gold advantage 67-63 — dealing a downhill drive and putting it in the cylinder at 6:40.

A few possessions later, a gritty team effort by USC saw the Trojans pulling down four offensive rebounds that led to an Ausar clip in the paint, giving USC a 71-68 lead. While Oregon hauled in more points from the free throw line, Baker-Mazara struck on two back-to-back runners. With one minute on the clock, he hit a big-time three from far beyond the arc to seal the game and push USC out 78-73. Easter added four free throws, and the Trojans came out on top 82-77 over the Ducks, earning their first conference win on the road.

NOTABLES

Five Trojans concluded their time in Eugene with double-digit points – Chad Baker-Mazara (25), Jacob Cofie (17), Ezra Ausar (13), Jerry Easter II (11) and Jaden Brownell (11). Of those players, only Baker-Mazara and Cofie ended the first half with double-digit points.
Baker-Mazara earned at least 20 points in his fourth game of the season. He also contributed a season-high in steals with three.
With two blocks, Cofie has recorded at least one block in all eight games this season.
Jaden Brownell surpassed 800 career points against Oregon. He finished with 11, bringing his career total to 810 points.
Ezra Ausar pulled down a season-high nine rebounds while adding 13 points.
Jerry Easter II finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, both career-highs.
Ryan Cornish registered his first baskets as a Trojan. He went 2-2 from the field to finish the contest with five points.
Tuesday was the second time USC overcame a double-digit deficit this season. The Trojans trailed by 10 with 4:04 left in the first half.
This is the seventh time in eight games that both Baker-Mazara and Ausar finished with double-digit points.
USC is now 70-64 against Oregon all-time. Head Coach Eric Musselman is now 1-2 all-time against the Ducks.
Tonight's starting lineup featured Ezra Ausar, Chad Baker-Mazara, Jerry Easter II, Terrance Williams II and Jacob Cofie. This lineup is 2-0 this season.

QUOTABLES
Coach Eric Musselman on tonight's performance…
"I'm super impressed with our ability to win close games. This is now the fourth game in a row. We're having limited bodies, but to be 8-0, win a road game, and our first Big Ten game. I'm super impressed with guys stepping up when their name is called. Tonight, it was Ryan Cornish. We got great, great guard play from Jerry Easter, both defensively, and then Jerry gave us a lift offensively, getting to the basket. He had a huge offensive rebound. And then in that second half, we really had to go to Ezra, and he did a great job drawing free throws, putting pressure on the rim, and then the middle pick and roll with Chad Baker-Mazara was super, super important for us to close this game out. It's impressive to be ranked. Our guys keep figuring out a way to close games, which is hard to do."

Coach Eric Musselman on Chad Baker-Mazara and Ezra Ausar…
"Our pick and roll with Chad and Ezra has been really, really good. Ezra's a great dynamic roller, and he can short-roll and then put pressure off his dribble bounce game because he's so powerful. He's got great quickness. So those two guys are a vital part of what we do, and I think that we need to continue to blend in Ryan Cornish and Jaden Brownell. Those two guys off the bench tonight were super important."

Coach Eric Musselman on the shift in mentality in the second half…
"I thought the first half, we were just too sloppy with the basketball, and we didn't defend Oregon's threes well enough. As the game wore on, we settled into who we really are. We outrebounded Oregon, which was one of our themes going into the game. We took better care of the basketball and defended the three-point shot better. But a big game is coming on Saturday. Washington is coming. It's a Black Out. Let's go, Fight On."

UP NEXT
The Trojans will return to the Galen Center to continue with Big Ten play against the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Dec. 3. Tip-off will be at 3 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. Fans can also listen to the game on ESPN LA 710.