USC men's basketball survives sloppy second half to earn much-needed conference win

The USC Trojans edged out Rutgers with a tight 78-75 win over the weekend. It marked their sixth one-possession victory of the season, bringing their record to 16-6 overall and 5-6 in conference play.

The Trojans cruised into halftime with a solid double-digit lead, but shaky free throw shooting and turnovers let the Scarlet Knights back into the game, giving USC a late scare. Ezra Ausar led the way with 21 points, while Chad Baker-Mazara added 17. Jacob Cofie notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. At one point in the second half, the Trojans were up by as many as 19.

The Trojans managed to maintain a 51% shooting percentage on the night, while Rutgers couldn’t break the 40% mark. However, they hit only 73% of their free throws and racked up 17 turnovers. Even for the turnover-prone USC Trojans, 17 mistakes is a surprisingly high number. USC did comfortably win the rebounding battle 40-33 and with a key stop at the end of the game, was able to escape New Jersey with the victory.

For the Trojans, results matter more than style points at this stage of the season. They need to find a way to get above the .500 mark in conference play, as their undefeated non-conference record and Maui Invitational tournament win might not be enough to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

As things currently stand, USC is projected to be among the last four teams in the tournament, which is cutting it a bit too close for comfort. That doesn’t mean they’d be a 16-seed, though as the projections point to a play-in game against Santa Clara as an 11-seed.

The Trojans have a great chance to snag another win when they host Indiana on Feb. 3. This big matchup is set to tip off on Peacock at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET).