Indiana University Athletics
Tuesday, February 3
Los Angeles, Calif.
10:00 PM
Indiana University
15-8,6-6Big Ten
75
at
81
USC
17-6,6-6Big Ten
1
2
F
Indiana
30
45
75
Southern California
35
46
81
Indiana Suffers Setback at USC
2/4/2026 1:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
LOS ANGELES – The fight was there. No doubt about it. The Lamar Wilkerson shot was on. No doubt about that, either.
It wasn't enough Tuesday night. Not against USC and guard Alijah Arenas. Not three days after a double overtime win at UCLA. Indiana lost 81-75 to snap its three-game winning streak.
Wilkerson led the Hoosiers (15-8 overall, 6-6 in the Big Ten) with 33 points and five 3-pointers.
"I didn't think we had the same juice and energy to start the game," coach Darian DeVries told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the postgame radio show. "As we started going, we never could get into synch. Every time we clawed back in it, we could never get enough stops to sustain anything.
"Offensively, we had some good looks. We just didn't make them. That was tough."
Still, the Hoosiers nearly overcame a 12-point second-half deficit.
"I thought the guys had prepared well the last couple of days," Darian DeVries said. "After the UCLA game, we had some guys log some heavy minutes, but I thought they were ready to go.
"We looked a half a step slow the whole night. They continued to battle right up to the end. We gave ourselves a chance to maybe sneak away with one here, but we came up short."
IU couldn't overcome USC's 15-6 edge in second-chance points and 24-13 advantage in made throws.
"There were a lot free throws," Darian DeVries told Fischer. They shot too many. We have to do a better job of keeping them off the line.
"We'll look at the film and see how we can be better. And then, see how we can get to the line more. We have to fix that problem. It can't be that big a disparity or you will lose games.
Indiana point guard Tayton Conerway returned to action after missing the last couple of games with an ankle injury. He had seven points, two rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes.
The Trojans (17-6, 6-6) had a 40-25 advantage in rebounds.
"Rebounding was the main thing we talked about at halftime," Darian DeVries told. They had eight offensive rebounds. We did a better job in the second half, partly because they didn't miss as much. We weren't as tenacious as we had been. Arenas got going. We gave them too many easy ones and they shot too many free throws."
Guard Nick Dorn and Wilkerson opened the game with 3-pointers, but USC hit its first five shots to take an 11-8 lead after four minutes. It extended it to 16-10 on 7-for-7 shooting.
The Trojans then missed seven straight shots as IU closed within 16-15, with Wilkerson with 10 of those points. A Jasai Miles jumper completed the Hoosiers' 7-0 run for a 17-16 lead. USC responded with a 6-0 run before freshman forward Trent Sisley hit a 3-pointer for a 22-20 Trojan lead. A pair of Reed Bailey free throws tied it to 22-22. A Wilkerson 3-pointer pushed the Hoosiers ahead 25-24.
A Conerway layup tied it at 30-30 with 1:50 left. USC scored the final five points for a 35-30 halftime lead. Wilkerson led IU with 13 points and three three-pointers.
Tucker DeVries scored his first points – on a 3-pointer – as IU closed within 39-37. USC pushed ahead 49-39 forcing Darian DeVries to call a timeout. It didn't help. The Trojans extended it to 55-41.
A pair of Wilkerson free throws and a Conor Enright 3-pointer gave the Hoosiers some momentum. Another Wilkerson 3-pointer cut the lead to 57-49 with 9:32 left. His two free throws and then a jumper brought IU within 59-55.
Consecutive Alijah Arenas 3-pointers restored the 10-point USC lead with five minutes left.
A Bailey dunk and free throw brought the Hoosiers within 70-65 with 1:55 left. Two Tucker DeVries free throws made it 75-71 with 45 seconds left. A Tucker DeVries steal and a Conerway layup cut it to two points with 31 seconds remaining.
IU got no closer. It plays again Saturday when it hosts Wisconsin.
IUHoosiers.com
LOS ANGELES – The fight was there. No doubt about it. The Lamar Wilkerson shot was on. No doubt about that, either.
It wasn't enough Tuesday night. Not against USC and guard Alijah Arenas. Not three days after a double overtime win at UCLA. Indiana lost 81-75 to snap its three-game winning streak.
Wilkerson led the Hoosiers (15-8 overall, 6-6 in the Big Ten) with 33 points and five 3-pointers.
"I didn't think we had the same juice and energy to start the game," coach Darian DeVries told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the postgame radio show. "As we started going, we never could get into synch. Every time we clawed back in it, we could never get enough stops to sustain anything.
"Offensively, we had some good looks. We just didn't make them. That was tough."
Still, the Hoosiers nearly overcame a 12-point second-half deficit.
"I thought the guys had prepared well the last couple of days," Darian DeVries said. "After the UCLA game, we had some guys log some heavy minutes, but I thought they were ready to go.
"We looked a half a step slow the whole night. They continued to battle right up to the end. We gave ourselves a chance to maybe sneak away with one here, but we came up short."
IU couldn't overcome USC's 15-6 edge in second-chance points and 24-13 advantage in made throws.
"There were a lot free throws," Darian DeVries told Fischer. They shot too many. We have to do a better job of keeping them off the line.
"We'll look at the film and see how we can be better. And then, see how we can get to the line more. We have to fix that problem. It can't be that big a disparity or you will lose games.
Indiana point guard Tayton Conerway returned to action after missing the last couple of games with an ankle injury. He had seven points, two rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes.
The Trojans (17-6, 6-6) had a 40-25 advantage in rebounds.
"Rebounding was the main thing we talked about at halftime," Darian DeVries told. They had eight offensive rebounds. We did a better job in the second half, partly because they didn't miss as much. We weren't as tenacious as we had been. Arenas got going. We gave them too many easy ones and they shot too many free throws."
Guard Nick Dorn and Wilkerson opened the game with 3-pointers, but USC hit its first five shots to take an 11-8 lead after four minutes. It extended it to 16-10 on 7-for-7 shooting.
The Trojans then missed seven straight shots as IU closed within 16-15, with Wilkerson with 10 of those points. A Jasai Miles jumper completed the Hoosiers' 7-0 run for a 17-16 lead. USC responded with a 6-0 run before freshman forward Trent Sisley hit a 3-pointer for a 22-20 Trojan lead. A pair of Reed Bailey free throws tied it to 22-22. A Wilkerson 3-pointer pushed the Hoosiers ahead 25-24.
A Conerway layup tied it at 30-30 with 1:50 left. USC scored the final five points for a 35-30 halftime lead. Wilkerson led IU with 13 points and three three-pointers.
Tucker DeVries scored his first points – on a 3-pointer – as IU closed within 39-37. USC pushed ahead 49-39 forcing Darian DeVries to call a timeout. It didn't help. The Trojans extended it to 55-41.
A pair of Wilkerson free throws and a Conor Enright 3-pointer gave the Hoosiers some momentum. Another Wilkerson 3-pointer cut the lead to 57-49 with 9:32 left. His two free throws and then a jumper brought IU within 59-55.
Consecutive Alijah Arenas 3-pointers restored the 10-point USC lead with five minutes left.
A Bailey dunk and free throw brought the Hoosiers within 70-65 with 1:55 left. Two Tucker DeVries free throws made it 75-71 with 45 seconds left. A Tucker DeVries steal and a Conerway layup cut it to two points with 31 seconds remaining.
IU got no closer. It plays again Saturday when it hosts Wisconsin.
Team Stats
IND
USC
FG%
.413
.463
3FG%
.286
.353
FT%
.813
.806
RB
25
40
TO
10
15
STL
8
5
Game Leaders
Pts
33
FGM
11
3FGM
5
FTM
6
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's BasketballGuard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballGuard
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