illinois vs usc: Illini rout USC 101-65 as Arenas battles illness, Stojakovic slams fast-break dunk
Illinois delivered a lopsided statement Wednesday night (ET), rolling to a 101-65 victory that exposed numerous flaws for USC. The Illini poured it on throughout, highlighted by a thunderous fast-break slam from Andrej Stojakovic and a late alley-oop from Tomislav Ivisic that pushed the visitors into triple digits.
Illini push tempo, Stojakovic ignites transition scoring
From early on, Illinois dictated the game’s pace and turned USC’s lapses into points in transition. One sequence that captured the swing came when Andrej Stojakovic finished a turnover-to-basket sequence with a high-effort fast-break slam that extended Illinois’ lead and deflated the home crowd. The Illini continued to exploit turnovers and loose defense, eventually converting at a rate that USC couldn’t match.
Illinois’ margin grew steadily, and the visitors didn’t let up late. Tomislav Ivisic punctuated the night with an alley-oop dunk in the final minute that pushed Illinois past the 100-point mark. The win improved Illinois’ record to 22-5 overall and 13-3 in conference play, underscoring the program’s status among the national top 10.
USC unravelled: illness, rebounding and empty paint scoring
USC’s night was a cascade of setbacks. Star freshman Alijah Arenas elected to play despite being ill and missing practice earlier in the week, but he looked visibly compromised — finishing with just 8 points in 18 minutes before collapsing into a towel on the bench midgame. That limited output from his emerging scorer left USC thin on offense and unable to keep pace.
Compounding the issue, USC lost the battle of the boards, 41-30, surrendered its only fast-break point, and managed a dismal 25% shooting inside the arc. Those concrete failings translated into the program’s largest margin of defeat in two seasons under the current coach and marked the first time the team has given up 100 points in a game since 2019. Jacob Cofie led the Trojans with 14 points and Ezra Ausar added 11, but no other player reached double figures.
Implications for both teams moving forward
The result gives Illinois momentum as it continues its road swing through Los Angeles, a stretch the Illini opened at USC with authority. For USC, the loss lands at a precarious time: the Trojans sit 18-8 overall and 7-8 in conference play, clinging to bubble positioning for the postseason and facing a critical five-game stretch to close the regular season. The coach acknowledged the performance should prompt internal reflection across players and staff.
On the Illini side, the convincing road showing will bolster confidence as they chase higher seeding. For USC, the combination of a key player battling illness, poor interior shooting, and being outworked on the glass creates urgent questions about personnel and adjustments ahead of upcoming matchups.
The stark contrast in execution and energy was obvious by the final horn: Illinois finished with an emphatic 101-65 win while USC is left to regroup and address clear, fixable issues before the next tip-off.
