Southern California is out to avoid a three-game losing streak Sunday in a visit to Big Ten Conference counterpart Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.
The Trojans (14-12, 6-9 Big Ten) rallied from sluggish starts in both halves in the first leg of its East Coast road swing Thursday at Maryland, but ran out of gas down the stretch in an 88-71 loss.
Thursday’s setback followed a 69-66 home loss on Feb. 15 vs. Minnesota when USC gave up an 8-0 run to close the game.
“We have to come play,” Trojans coach Eric Musselman said of USC’s effort in its losses. “We took some ill-advised shots. Now we have to go to Rutgers and play against two NBA lottery picks.”
The lottery picks Musselman is referring to are freshman guards Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, the Scarlet Knights’ leading scorers at 19.2 and 18.6 points per game, respectively.
Despite featuring the two dynamic pro prospects, Rutgers (13-14, 6-10) is fighting to qualify for next month’s Big Ten Tournament. The conference’s bottom three teams miss the field.
Rutgers is tied with Minnesota and Iowa for 15th place, which is the last qualifying spot. The Scarlet Knights are a half-game behind USC following Rutgers’ losing streak-ending 89-85 win at Washington in overtime on Wednesday.
Harper erupted for 34 points, his third game with 30-plus points this season.
The Scarlet Knights dropped their previous three heading into Wednesday’s contest.
The win at Washington also saw Jeremiah Williams step up with 13 points and a key steal late. The sophomore guard has scored exactly 13 points in three of the last five outings since a scoreless night vs. Michigan on Feb. 1.
“It’s been a little bit of a tough up-and-down year, but that’s who I think I am as a basketball player,” Williams told the Asbury Park Press. “Make a play, (and) make the right play most importantly.”
Williams’ defensive presence against a potentially explosive USC backcourt could be key. The Trojans’ top four scorers — Desmond Claude (15.6 points per game), Wesley Yates III (13.1), Chibuzo Agbo (11.8) and Saint Thomas (9.9) — all play on the perimeter.
–Field Level Media
