LOS ANGELES, CA — Alijah Arenas poured in a career-high 29 points, including 19 after halftime, and Southern California used a decisive second-half surge to beat Indiana 81-75 on Tuesday night at the Galen Center, extending the Trojans’ winning streak to three games in Big Ten play.
USC (17-6, 6-6 Big Ten) leaned on Arenas’ shot-making and a dominant performance on the glass to hold off Indiana (15-8, 6-6), which was led by Lamar Wilkerson’s game-high 33 points but struggled to keep pace late. The Trojans outrebounded the Hoosiers 40-25, shot 46.3% from the field and limited Indiana to 28.6% shooting from 3-point range.
Arenas, a freshman guard, delivered his breakout performance on a big stage, becoming the first Trojan this season to score at least 19 points in a half. He added six rebounds and hit several momentum-shifting baskets down the stretch as USC closed out the win at the free-throw line.
“He can get his own shot whenever he wants,” USC coach Eric Musselman said. “He’s a great find-your-own-shot creator. I hope he can continue to build off of this. Twenty-nine points in your fifth game of college is pretty damn impressive.”
Kam Woods added 18 points and six rebounds, while Ezra Ausar scored 12 points to give USC three players in double figures. The Trojans’ backcourt duo of Arenas and Woods combined for 47 points, with 30 coming in the second half.
Indiana kept the game close behind Wilkerson, who shot 11-for-20 from the field and 5-for-12 from beyond the arc. However, the Hoosiers received limited production elsewhere, shooting just 41.3% overall and falling behind during key stretches when USC’s defense tightened.
USC jumped out to a fast start, making its first seven shots from the floor and building early momentum. Chad Baker-Mazara scored seven quick points, but Indiana responded with a 7-0 run fueled by Wilkerson to briefly take the lead. The Trojans regained control late in the half, closing on a 5-0 run from the free-throw line to take a 35-30 advantage into halftime.
The Trojans seized command early in the second half with a 10-2 run, highlighted by a three-point play from Ausar and a corner 3-pointer from Woods that pushed the lead to 49-39. Arenas followed with a midrange jumper through contact and later knocked down back-to-back 3s during an 8-0 run that stretched the margin to double digits.
Indiana made a final push in the closing minutes, trimming the deficit to three points with 24 seconds remaining, but USC made six free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
“This game is not worth one game,” Musselman said. “There are bubble implications, Big Ten standing implications, and tie-break implications. A big win.”
The victory improved USC to 12-2 this season when it outrebounds its opponent and marked another step forward for a lineup Musselman believes is finding its rhythm midway through conference play.
USC will travel to Penn State on Sunday, while Indiana returns home looking to rebound after dropping its second straight road game.
