On Wednesday, the USC men’s basketball team fell 89-82 on the road at Ohio State. With the loss, the Trojans dropped to 18-7 on the season and 7-7 in Big Ten play.
What did we learn from the game? Here are a few key takeaways:
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Winning streak ends
Prior to the Ohio State game, USC had won three games in a row, having not lost in two weeks. On Wednesday, however, that streak came to an end, as the Buckeyes did enough to take down the Trojans.
Defensive struggles
When you allow 89 points, you simply cannot expect to win very many games. On Wednesday, USC did just that, as Ohio State shot 50% from the field.
Arenas continues to impress
Despite the loss, it was another impressive performance from Alijah Arenas. The true freshman had 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals—his third consecutive game scoring 24 or more.
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Injuries taking an affect
Following the game, college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein tweeted, “USC would have a Sweet 16 caliber roster if it was fully healthy with Rodney Rice and Chad Baker-Mazara.”
Unfortunately for the Trojans, Rice is out for the season, and Baker-Mazara has missed the past few games with a knee injury. USC is hoping to get him back soon, but it is still hard not to look at this team and wonder what it could be if not for all of the injuries.
Up next
The good news for USC is that the Trojans will not have to leave the West Coast for the rest of the regular season. The Trojans have four remaining home games, as well as road contests at UCLA and Washington.
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After a full week off, up next is a matchup with No. 8 Illinois at Galen Center next Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Pacific time on Big Ten Network.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC men’s basketball falls to Ohio State 89-82: Key takeaways
