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USC Trojans use hot shooting to blow out Penn State

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney•about 10 hours•

ErikTMcKinney

USC Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) shoots the ball against Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jahvin Carter (0) in the second half at Galen Center
USC Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) shoots the ball against Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jahvin Carter (0) in the second half at Galen Center. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

The USC Trojans might as well consider themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the rest of the season because they are going to be in so many must-win situations with their actual tournament hopes on the line. Tuesday night was one of those occasions with the Penn State Nittany Lions in town and USC needing a win over the last-place team in the conference.

And the Trojans delivered, thanks to some blistering shooting and a phenomenal night from Chibuzo Agbo, who battled through illness to hit seven three-pointers on his way to a game-high 21 points. USC shot a ridiculous 67.3% from the floor as a team and connected on 12 of 16 three-point attempts. No USC player missed more than three shots from the field.

The win broke a two-game skid for USC, which finds itself on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAA Tournament at this point. But the Trojans have opportunities left to play their way in, including four conference road games in their final seven regular season contests.

USC was buoyed by the return of Desmond Claude, who returned from a knee injury that forced his absence in the Trojans’ two recent losses. He finished with 16 points and eight assists on 5-of-6 shooting. He did have eight turnovers.

The Trojans were dominant on both sides of the ball in this one. USC held Penn State without a basket for more than 7:30 during a first-half run. And the Trojans connected on their first 12 shots of the second half, which lasted more than 11 minutes and saw USC push a nine-point halftime lead out to 17.

Wesley Yates had 13 points and Josh Cohen scored 12.

Next, USC will take on Minnesota in another must-win game for the Trojans. The Golden Gophers are just 4-9 in conference and 12-12 overall. That game will tip on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm at Galen Center and will air on Big Ten Network.

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz