On Saturday, the USC men’s basketball team defeated Rutgers 78-75 at Galen Center. With the victory, the Trojans improved to 16-6 on the season and 5-6 in Big Ten play.
What did we learn from the game? Here are a few key takeaways:
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Almost blew it
With just over a minute remaining, the Trojans led by 10, and the game appeared to be over. However, Rutgers scored 7 unanswered points in less than 30 seconds and even got the ball back down by just three in the final moments before a Chad Baker-Mazara steal finally sealed the victory.
Disaster avoided
Rutgers is just 9-13 on the season and sits near the bottom of the Big Ten standings. A loss would have been disastrous for USC’s NCAA Tournament resume, and the Trojans narrowly avoided it.
Making shots
For the second game in a row, the Trojans made more than 50% of their field goal attempts. USC continuing to shoot that well would be a great sign as the calendar flips to February and the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament races begin to heat up.
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Big game for Ausar
Ezra Ausar had his best game of Big Ten play to date for the Trojans. The Utah transfer recorded 21 points and seven rebounds.
Up next
USC is back in action on Tuesday night when Indiana comes to Galen Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Peacock.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC men’s basketball defeats Rutgers 78-75: Key takeaways
