Wesley Yates wiped the sweat already pouring from his brow and steeled himself for the 40 brutal minutes to return. It had already been a depressing week, as an sickness wreaked havoc on USC’s rotation, proper after the Trojans returned from a two-loss journey. Yates and fellow starter Chibuzo Agbo had been among the many hardest hit. Each have been on IV drips as of Tuesday afternoon, leaving their standing very a lot in query a number of hours later for a sport that USC desperately wanted.
However by tip Tuesday in opposition to Penn State, they took their locations as standard, with little greater than flop sweat to counsel one thing was amiss. So, too, did Desmond Claude, the purpose guard whose bruised knee held him out of the earlier two video games.
None of USC’s three prime scorers could be anyplace close to 100%. Claude would battle by means of a minor limp all evening, tending to his knee at every stoppage, whereas Agbo and Yates would look a bit sluggish in stretches, nonetheless preventing by means of signs. However with the Trojans’ match hopes hinging on turning round their season in a rush, the trio delivered in a 92-67 victory over Penn State.
Agbo, whose standing was maybe probably the most doubtful Tuesday, seemed as easy as ever from three-point vary as he hit seven of his 9 makes an attempt from lengthy vary to steer the crew with 21 factors, tying a season excessive. Yates would add two of his personal from deep, ending with 13 factors, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Neither checked out all like they’d spent the final a number of days sick and depleted.
An aching knee couldn’t gradual Claude, both, as he knifed by means of the lane with ease Tuesday, exploding for 10 first-half factors earlier than dialing it again after halftime. With out him the earlier two video games, USC (14-10, 6-7 Large Ten) had been largely aimless on offense. However in his return, Claude scored 16 factors and dished out eight assists because the Trojans rapidly regained their footing on that finish.
It couldn’t have come quickly sufficient, contemplating how tightly the Trojans at the moment are clinging to the NCAA match bubble. With 4 losses of their previous seven video games, USC can’t afford to drop many extra winnable video games this season, particularly in opposition to groups beneath them in the Large Ten standings.
That was by no means actually doubtful Tuesday. After a sloppy begin that noticed the Trojans flip the ball over 5 instances in 4 minutes, USC hit 12 of its first 16 pictures from the sphere. Penn State (13-12, 3-11) went 9 minutes with out changing a subject objective, and the Trojans constructed up a 17-point lead within the first half.
Nothing might maintain them again from there, as USC was lifted Tuesday evening by a trio who hadn’t been positive they’d play just some hours earlier.