USC Men's Basketball Loses 101-65 To No. 10 Illinois

Wednesday, February 18

Los Angeles, Calif.

7 p.m.

USC

18-8,7-8Big Ten

101

Illinois

22-5,13-3Big Ten

Illinois

101

Southern California

USC Men's Basketball Loses 101-65 To No. 10 Illinois

February 18, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Ezra Ausar posted his 17th consecutive game in double figures.

LOS ANGELES — USC Men's Basketball (18-8, 7-8 Big Ten) fell 101-65 to No. 10 Illinois (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) at Galen Center on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

USC fell behind 21-8 in the first eight minutes and trailed for the entirety of the game. The Trojan offense missed 14 of its first 20 attempts from the field and made 37.1% of its field goals, while the defense surrendered 100 points in regulation for the first time this season Illinois out-rebounded USC 41-30, committed nine turnovers to USC's 16 and shot 50% or better in both halves.

Ezra Ausar led the Trojans with 15 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, while Jacob Cofie added 14 points, five rebounds and three assists. Terrance Williams II provided nine points off the bench, while Kam Woods ran the offense with four points and seven assists while committing just one turnover in nearly 33 minutes.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Illinois took an 8-0 lead with a wide-open layup and a pair of corner threes from Jake Davis. USC went scoreless for the first four minutes before Ezra Ausar battled his way to a three-point play under the rim. The Fighting Illini took their first double-digit lead 14:27 into the first half before Jordan Marsh came off the bench to make a three to make it a 15-6 ballgame. However, the Trojans fell behind by double-digits on the next possession and couldn't get within single digits the rest of the way.

Trailing 39-21 with less than six minutes to go, Alijah Arenas and Terrance Williams II scored nine of USC's final 11 points in the half to make the score 54-32 at the intermission.

Sparked by Williams, the Trojans' 7-0 run early in the second half breathed some life into the USC offense. With USC down 60-33 at the 17:44 mark, Williams pump faked to send his defender in the air, leaving him wide open for the midrange jumper to kickstart the run. On the next possession, Cofie buried a corner three, then Kam Woods found Ausar down low, who bodied his way in the paint to score and make it a 60-40 ballgame.

But the Fighting Illini retaliated by going on their largest run of the night, sinking three triples in nearly two minutes to extend their lead to 33, 73-40. Seven different Trojans scored down the stretch, but Illinois kept finding success in transition with 19 fast-break points as the game unraveled. Ausar scored six points in the final four minutes to record a double-double as USC fell 101-65.

NOTABLES

Ezra Ausar earned his second double-double of the season and ninth of his career with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Jacob Cofie scored 14 points to finish in double-figures for the third-straight game. He also had five rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Terrance Williams II finished with nine points, for his second-highest point total this season. He also finished with four rebounds and one steal.
Kam Woods contributed seven assists on the night while tacking on four points and two steals.
The Trojans are now 7-4 all-time against the Fighting Illini, and Coach Eric Musselman is 2-1 all-time against Illinois.
Tonight's starting lineup featured Kam Woods, Alijah Arenas, Jacob Cofie, Ezra Ausar and Gabe Dynes. This lineup is 0-2 this season.

QUOTABLES
Coach Eric Musselman on the big issues in tonight's game…
"I didn't think USC played well on either side of the ball. I think it's pretty simple: We were not good enough tonight. We've got to be better in all aspects. Every player, person and coach in our program has to look in the mirror and ask how we can get better. We've still got a lot to play for. We can't feel sorry for ourselves and can't make excuses. We've got to get back to what we've been doing on the road, which is playing good basketball."

Coach Eric Musselman on whether this team has a chance of seeing tournament play in March…
"Yes, we do, but not the way we played tonight. I felt like we could have — and should have — won the game in Ohio State. We haven't played good basketball at home, and we've got to figure out how we can play better basketball than what we have at home. You can't play like that offensively and defensively, and give yourself a chance against a top-10 team in the country."

Jacob Cofie on how the team needs to regroup with five games left…
"We have to buy into what Coach Musselman has to say for us, and go to the film room to see all the things we did wrong - I can already imagine that."

Jacob Cofie on the teams' defensive struggles this game…
"I feel like we didn't do a good job following the game. I feel like we made them look good today, and I feel like we could do a lot better."

UP NEXT
USC will continue its homestead stretch by hosting Oregon in the Galen Center on Saturday, Feb. 21. Tip-off will be at 1 p.m. PT on FS1. Fans can also listen through ESPN LA 710.