LOS ANGELES – The Muss Bus ran out of gas as the No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers defeated the USC Trojans with an 84-69 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Galen Center.
USC attempted to mount a comeback in the second half, but Wisconsin proved to be too strong for the Trojans, who now have a record of 3-4 in the Big Ten. USC's Saint Thomas is in great form as of late, scoring 19 points on 7 of 11 shooting, and has racked up an impressive 16 of 21 shooting from the field over his last two games
Thomas held Wisconsin's leading scorer, John Tonje, to zero points in the game. USC head coach Eric Musselman talked after the game about assigning Thomas to guard Tonje.
“Saint was assigned to number nine and he did a great job, not a good job, a great job,” Musselman said. “But it’s quite evident that Saint and Rashaun played with great energy. I can credit those two guys.”
John Blackwell had a season-high 28 points and five rebounds, shooting 10 of 16 from the field. Blackwell posed a significant challenge for the USC offense, contributing 16 points in the first half. The Badgers shot 58.3% from the field in the first half and made 7 of 15 three-point attempts, building a lead of as much as 17 points during that period.
Max Klesmit also contributed to the Badgers' win with 18 points, four assists, and two rebounds.
Wisconsin dominated the paint, outscoring the Trojans 38-28. USC committed 16 turnovers, which Wisconsin converted into 22 points.
“Our two guards did not defend their two guards because they're starting point guards. I don’t think he's quicker, No. 11, than our guys but he found angles and he got to the rim,” Musselman said.
The Badgers put pressure on the Trojans' guards, which allowed them to secure stops and slow down USC's offense. Desmond Claude of USC recorded five turnovers in 30 minutes of play and managed to score nine points, all of which came in the second half after he had gone scoreless in the first half.
Despite being behind in the first half, the Trojans initiated a pivotal 13-0 scoring run, largely fueled by Thomas, who contributed eight points during this stretch. Their solid defensive effort was crucial, allowing the offense to transition effectively. Additionally, Wesley Yates III played a significant role by scoring 11 points and grabbing three rebounds in 36 minutes against the Badgers.
Rashaun Agee played with great energy off the bench and ultimately entered the starting lineup at the beginning of the second half. He finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and two steals.
The Badgers led by as much as 19 points during the game. Although the Trojans managed to cut the lead down to just two points midway through the second half, they ultimately couldn’t stop the Badgers, who scored 42 points in each half.
The USC Trojans were down by 15 points at halftime, shooting 2 of 8 from three-point range and committing nine turnovers. Defensive mistakes in rotations caused the Trojans trouble in keeping the game within reach.
In Musselman’s first year at USC, he has faced challenges in gaining traction as he works to build the program. Since joining the Big Ten Conference, some of the teams have not traveled to the West Coast, including the Badgers, who haven't visited Los Angeles since 1982.
“We have no home court advantage,” Musselman said. “It’s been that way and we gotta continue to work as a program to make it more of a home court advantage.”
On Saturday afternoon, there were 6,938 fans in attendance, with a nearly equal number of Badgers and Trojans supporters. As it is new for the Trojans to travel from west to east, this could pose challenges and be exhausting. Musselman mentioned that he has encountered such difficulties during his time as a college coach and emphasized that there should be no excuses for how the team performs on the road.
“It’s not tripping up our women’s team, right? They are super talented, well coached and they are going out and kicking butt.” Musselman said. “I watched coach Gottlieb’s team and they go in there and beat people by 30 on the road with the same travel.”
The Trojans' record falls to 11-7 as they prepare to face the Cornhuskers in Nebraska on Wednesday night.