illinois vs usc: Illini rout Trojans 101-65 as USC collapses in key Big Ten test
Wednesday night (ET) at USC turned into a celebration for the visiting Illini and a sobering reality check for the Trojans. Illinois built a relentless lead early and never let up, rolling to a 101-65 win that exposed USC’s weaknesses and deepened questions around the Trojans’ NCAA tournament résumé.
Illini dominate from the start, USC never recovers
Illinois jumped on USC and controlled the game tempo from the outset. The Illini’s defense bottled up transition chances and forced USC into a night of poor shooting and porous rebounding. USC managed only a single fast-break point and shot 25% from inside the arc, while Illinois outworked the Trojans on the glass, 41-30. The scoreboard reflected a lopsided performance; Illinois surged well into triple digits when their big man threw down an alley-oop late in the second half.
For USC, the loss was the program’s worst margin under the current coach in two seasons and marked the first time the Trojans gave up 100 or more points since 2019. With five regular-season games left, including matchups that will determine their postseason fate, the defeat landed as a major setback for a team clinging to the NCAA tournament bubble.
Arenas battles illness, but USC’s collapse runs deeper
USC’s rising freshman star played through illness and clearly wasn’t himself. He fought to suit up after missing a practice earlier in the week, but his night ended early when he sat breathless on the bench midway through the first half. He managed just eight points in 18 minutes and at one point appeared to tweak his previously injured knee, forcing another extended absence.
Teammates praised his courage, but the Trojans’ problems were systemic. Beyond the health issues, USC was routinely outworked: they lost the rebounding battle, created almost no offense in transition, and struggled to score inside the paint. The team’s veteran coach summed it up bluntly: "We were not good enough tonight. "
Jacob Cofie led the Trojans with 14 points, and Ezra Ausar added 11, but no other USC player reached double figures. That scarcity of scoring compounded the damage; Illinois didn’t need their leading freshman to explode — he finished with 10 points and four assists — because the team functioned as a collective force, imposing its will all night.
Implications for the rest of the season
The scale of the defeat raises immediate questions about USC’s consistency and depth. The Trojans now sit 18-8 overall and 7-8 in conference play, and they can ill afford further lapses as the regular season winds down. The performance Wednesday highlighted areas that require urgent attention: interior scoring, rebounding effort, and the ability to generate quick offense.
For Illinois, the win improved their standing to 22-5 overall and 13-3 in conference play, reinforcing their status as a legitimate contender in the league. The Illini’s balanced attack and defensive discipline served as a reminder that they can win in hostile environments and do so with multiple contributors stepping up.
As the Trojans regroup, the message from the locker room was stark: every player and coach must look in the mirror and respond. With just a handful of games left to salvage postseason positioning, the margin for error has never been smaller.
