The Nebraska Cornhuskers were looking for a win Wednesday night to end their losing streak, but the USC Trojans could only hand them their fifth straight loss, leaving the Cornhuskers 2-6 in the Big Ten this season.
On the other side, the last time the Trojans were on the road, they defeated Illinois, who are currently ranked sixth in the Big Ten. The Trojans left Pinnacle Bank Arena with a 78-73 victory.
Minutes into the game, players of both teams were diving on the ground for loose balls, setting the tone that this game would be very competitive and physical.
The Trojans led the game 12-6, but junior guard Connor Essegian and senior forward Juwan Gary — who combined for Nebraska’s first 22 points of the half — did not let that stop them from taking control.
Following Essegian’s three consecutive triples, Gary became dominant in the paint, putting up 16 at the half. Though he averages 11.6 points a game, the forward finished the night with a career-high 27 points.
Throughout the first half, the Trojans were unable to knock down a three, but they were living in the lane. Junior guard Desmond Claude, senior forward Saint Thomas, and redshirt freshman guard Wesley Yates III were able to connect with the rim in the midrange and in the paint, putting up 21, 11 and 17 respectively by the end of the game.
Head coach Eric Musselman said Claude specifically needed to adjust his play to keep the team in the game.
“It was super important for him to understand that the defense was loading up to him and he was going to have to really trust his teammates,” Musselman said in the postgame press conference. “He did that.”
It was clear that defensively for the Trojans, a main priority was to limit the Cornhuskers’ leading scorer, senior guard Brice Williams, who averages 18.5 points per game. In USC’s last game against Wisconsin, the team held the Badgers’ leading scorer John Tonje to zero points. Similarly, the Trojans were able to contain Williams in the first half, as he only attempted his first shot with less than five minutes remaining.
However, at halftime, Nebraska was up by a pair with the score at 33-31.
In the second half, two players from the Trojans bench made a huge impact on the team.
Graduate forward Rashaun Agee made four 3-pointers to get the Trojans out of their 3-point scoring drought. Offensively, Agee was able to set picks and then pop out to knock down shots, and defensively, the Cornhuskers were tardy to closeouts. Agee finished up with eight rebounds and 14 points, all made in the second half.
Graduate guard Clark Slajchert was put in the game in the second half to defend Essegian. In Slajchert’s nine minutes, Essegian only made two points - both from the free-throw line. In addition to his defense, Slajchert scored seven points for the team to create some point separation.
The score was close all night, with the biggest lead from either team only being six points.
With two minutes left to go, the Trojans led 69-66. Williams, who had a quiet first half, knocked down a needed three to tie up the score, but Claude came right back with his own three-ball with less than a minute on the game clock. After a Nebraska timeout, with 18 seconds on the game clock, Essegian made a layup to shrink the lead to one. However, clutch free throws from Claude and Yates sealed the game.
After the game, Musselman commented on Thomas, as this was the senior’s homecoming, and the last time he was in the arena was when he won the 2021 Class A Nebraska State Championship alongside his former teammates Jadin Johnson, Hunter Sallis and Jasen Green.
“I thought [Saint] played really good. He’s the ultimate glue guy because he’s a great passer, he’s super unselfish, I can have him guard one through five, and he’s got a high basketball IQ,” Musselman said. “He’s one of our most focused players.”
Thomas walked off the court smiling and shouting, “This my Crib! This my Crib!”
And with a crosstown showdown against UCLA upcoming, the Trojans hope to bring that same confidence home as they gear up for Monday’s battle at Galen Center at 7 p.m.