The Trojans were outplayed by Illinois, who built a steady lead and never looked back. USC’s offense stalled, with Jacob Cofie leading the team with 14 points and Ezra Ausar adding 11, while no other player reached double digits. Alijah Arenas, who had been battling illness, scored only 8 points in 18 minutes before collapsing on the bench.
The 101‑65 loss is the largest margin USC has suffered under coach Eric Musselman in two seasons and the first time the team has allowed more than 100 points since 2019. With the game, USC’s slim NCAA tournament bubble is now in jeopardy, leaving the Trojans to focus on the final five regular‑season games to secure a postseason berth.