Alijah Arenas’ breakout game helps USC finish off Indiana

LOS ANGELES — Alijah Arenas had gotten plenty of feedback from his dad, former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, throughout his first four collegiate games. But it wasn’t anything related to his technique.

“Continue to play with your teammates, that’s the most important thing,” Arenas said of the advice he received.

On a night when Arenas matched his dad’s freshman season-high of 29 points in the breakout game the USC basketball team was waiting for, he credited those around him after the Trojans’ 81-75 statement win against Indiana.

“My team kept me level-headed, kept me together,” Arenas said. “Without my team, I kind of started losing myself, which is why I’m grateful to have them. And then I keep the mental side of just continuing to play, no matter what happens.”

Arenas made the first shot he attempted in his fifth college game on Tuesday night at the Galen Center, knocking down a 3-pointer before five minutes had ticked off the clock.

The highly touted freshman from Chatsworth High, whose season debut was delayed until Jan. 21 because of a knee injury, had another clutch moment late in the game when Indiana had pulled within five points of tying the score. The 6-foot-6 guard drained a high-arcing 3-pointer, turning to scream in celebration the moment the ball swished through the net.

Arenas had scored 30 points on 12-of-42 shooting from the floor through his first four games, but he shot 9 for 23 from the field and 8 for 9 from the free-throw line to go with six rebounds on Tuesday. Kam Woods scored 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting and had two steals, Ezra Ausar contributed 12 points and seven rebounds and Jacob Cofie added nine points.

Roughly five minutes had elapsed before USC (17-6 overall, 6-6 Big Ten) had won enough battles around the rim to take control of the paint – an area the Trojans typically dominate due to their physical aggression.

USC scored 28 of its points in the paint by the end of the game to go with a 40-25 rebounding advantage. Five Trojans grabbed between five and seven boards.

Chad Baker-Mazara got to work on the perimeter and made back-to-back 3-pointers to pull USC ahead 11-8, and his teammates worked to build on that lead while defending the arc on the other side of the court.

Indiana (15-8, 6-6) typically makes 10.6 3-pointers per game, and the Hoosiers stayed true to form with 10 on Tuesday night on 35 attempts. The Trojans turned up their efforts on perimeter defense midway through the first half and forced the Hoosiers to commit a shot clock violation.

“We felt if they shot 29% or below from three, we would win the game,” USC head coach Eric Musselman said. “We understood their 3-point shooting. We understood that they would have a plus on us in that area because of the [number of ] attempts that they take.”

Lamar Wilkerson hit a 3-pointer on Indiana’s next possession, however, and Jasai Miles followed with a jump shot to bring his team within a point of tying the score. Wilkerson led all scorers with 33 points.

Seven-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes pulled down a defensive rebound and then blocked a shot to keep the ball in the Trojans’ hands and keep Indiana from increasing its opportunities to take a lead.

Dynes had six rebounds and three blocked shots by halftime, and although USC didn’t make a shot from the field in the last five minutes, five made free throws put the Trojans ahead 35-30 at the break.

Arenas created shots and scored from all three levels to put up 10 points in the first half and embraced contact as the second half unfolded. He pushed up against a defender to shoot a layup and made the free throw after to pull USC ahead 52-41.

Woods hit two timely 3-pointers to fuel a 12-2 USC run. He paused for a breath while left unguarded with 11:40 on the clock, then made a shot from the corner to extend the lead to 55-41, though the Hoosiers responded with a 14-5 run to get back in the game.

“For me, being a leader – with us winning, that’s more confidence for everybody else on the team,” Woods said. “I put that on me to lead, to help win.”

USC’s offense was briefly disrupted when Baker-Mazara left the game with 19 minutes remaining due to an apparent right leg injury. Musselman said after the game that it’s likely not an ACL injury but that he can’t provide an accurate update until after the 6-7 guard undergoes an MRI.

Baker-Mazara came back later in the half but was seated on the bench, leaving the Trojans without their most accurate free-throw shooter and leading scorer.

Ausar and Cofie were both playing with four fouls apiece and fouled out with roughly a minute left to make the late-game situation more complicated, but it didn’t disrupt the rhythm that USC had established with Arenas as the centerpiece.

“Chad already knew,” Arenas said. “He looked at me and was like, you know the deal. It’s nothing new, especially with everybody else on the floor. I had no pressure whatsoever.”

Still, the Trojans had to survive a frenzied finish.

Tayton Conerway made one of two free throws with 58 seconds left to get Indiana within 75-69. Off the miss, the Hoosiers got the offensive rebound, Tucker Devries drew a foul on his layup attempt and promptly made both free throws. Woods turned it over on USC’s ensuing possession, Conerway again converted a layup but missed the and-one opportunity and USC maintained a 75-73 lead with 31 seconds left.

Jordan Marsh made two free throws to give USC a four-point lead with 24 seconds left. Again, Conerway was on his way to the rim but Ryan Cornish blocked his shot from behind. Arenas then made two more free throws with 14 seconds left to secure the win.

“Cornish made a huge block. Huge block,” Musselman said. “From a roster management standpoint, we put this team together in a really solid way. We thought about a lot of things, and that’s why we’re able to go to our bench when guys foul out.”

Arenas’ ability to get to the rim and the free-throw line buoyed the Trojans on a night when the foul line was crucial for the win. Indiana was 13 for 16 at the line, while USC went 25 for 31.

Wilkerson did the majority of Indiana’s work from 3-point range, shooting 5 for 12. He scored 12 of his 33 points in the final 10 minutes to help Indiana stay within striking distance.