Eric Musselman gives harsh review of USC blowout loss to Illinois

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The USC Trojans were overwhelmed 101-65 by No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday night at the Galen Center. USC fell to 18-8 overall and 7-8 in Big Ten play, damaging their NCAA tournament outlook.

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“I didn’t think USC played well on either side of the ball,” Trojans head coach Eric Musselman said in his opening statement to the media in the postgame.

USC entered the matchup without second-leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara, who averages 18.3 points per game and missed his third consecutive contest with a strained knee. Freshman Alijah Arenas also played through illness in limited minutes. The absence of Baker-Mazara was another setback for a roster already impacted by injuries throughout the season.

Illinois (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) took control immediately, opening on an 8-0 run and build a 54-32 halftime advantage. The Illini’s first-half offensive output rated as the most efficient half in Division I men’s basketball in the last 30 years, according to statistician Ken Pomeroy. Illinois shot 51.6% from the field, made 13 three-pointers, and converted 24 of 26 free throws. At one point in the second half, the Illini were shooting 46% from both three-point range and overall.

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Seven Illinois players scored in double figures. Andrej Stojakovic led all scorers with 22 points on 6-of-7 shooting and a perfect 9-for-9 performance from the foul line. David Mirkovic added 14 points, while Kylan Boswell and Jake Davis each scored 12. Ben Humrichous contributed 11, and Tomislav Ivisic and Keaton Wagler added 10 apiece. The Illini outscored the Trojans 21-10 to open the second half, extending the margin to 75-42.

USC shot 37.1% from the field and had seven shots blocked. The Trojans committed 14 turnovers, which Illinois converted into 22 points. Ezra Ausar recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds for his…

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Publish date : 2026-02-19 09:30:00

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