USC Men's Basketball's Guards Lead Offensive Efforts In 95-85 Loss To Rutgers

Sunday, February 23

Piscataway, N.J.

3:00 p.m.

USC

14-13,6-10Big Ten

Rutgers

14-14,7-10Big Ten

Southern California

Rutgers

Photo by: John McGillen/USC Athletics

USC Men's Basketball's Guards Lead Offensive Efforts In 95-85 Loss To Rutgers

February 23, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Desmond Claude contributed 30 points while Wesley Yates III added on 23 points against the Scarlet Knights.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The USC Men's Basketball team (14-13, 6-10 Big Ten) wrapped up their time on the East Coast in Jersey Mike's Arena as they took Rutgers. It was an offensive battle through most of this game as the guards went basket-for-basket. In the end, it was Rutgers who came out on top as USC lost 95-85.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Scarlet Knights started the game with a dunk, but that didn't keep the Trojans down. They responded right away with a layup from Desmond Claude and a basket from Chibuzo Agbo to take the early lead. From there, USC kept Rutgers from scoring for over three minutes while expanding on their lead, scoring seven straight points. The Scarlet Knights began to battle against the Trojans as they continued to grab offensive boards and give themselves second chances, tying the score at 17 apiece. With the help of Wesley Yates III and Josh Cohen, the Trojans scored seven straight points yet again, working to separate themselves from the Scarlet Knights. Once the score was tied yet again, the rest of the first half turned into a gritty battle as these two teams went basket-for-basket. At the end of the first half, Rutgers got hot and went on an eight-point run to finish the first half on top, resulting in USC being down 44-39.

USC did not come out strong in the first half as Rutgers put up four points before Cohen could get a point on the board for his team. From there, USC worked to close the gap between them and the Scarlet Knights. With Yates and Clark Slajchert, the Trojans started to gain some momentum as they got within five of the home team. That's when Rutgers picked it up again, growing their lead to 10 over the Trojans. The home team didn't stop there as they extended their lead to as many as 17 points late in the second half. USC did go an eight-point run in the final three minutes of the game, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback as USC fell 95-85.

NOTABLES

Desmond Claude had a monumental second half, scoring 24 points to finish the game with 30 total points. Claude's 30-point performance marked his 11th time leading the Trojans in scoring this season.
Josh Cohen had five rebounds in the first half, four of which were offensive. He ended the game with eight boards to lead the Trojans.
Wesley Yates III turned in a massive first half, scoring 16 points. He ended the game with 23 total points, marking his fourth 20-plus-point performance this season.
USC out-rebounded Rutgers 16-11 during the first half. The Trojans had 11 offensive boards at the break.
Two Trojans scored in the double digits - Desmond Claude (30) and Wesley Yates III (23).
USC grabbed a season-best 18 offensive rebounds and 34 total boards, outrebounding Rutgers 34-27.
The Trojans outscored the Scarlet Knights in the paint 48-28. USC also outscored Rutgers 15-11 in second-chance points.

QUOTABLES
Coach Eric Musselman on the team's rebounding…
"Our offensive rebounding was the best that we have done all season. Both of our centers had five offensive rebounds, so that is a huge step in the right direction."

Coach Eric Musselman on the team heading into their game against Ohio State…
"We need to see if our group can be resilient. We have to get our minds and our bodies right to get ready for an Ohio State game. We have a lot to play for."

UP NEXT
The Trojans return home to the Galen Center to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. For those who can't make it to Los Angeles, they can watch on Big Ten Network or listen through EPSN LA 710.