If a double-overtime game in round one of the Big Ten Tournament wasn’t stressful enough for Trojan fans, USC’s neck-and-neck duel against No. 20 Purdue on Thursday surely was. Early foul trouble, insufficient rebounding and fatigue guaranteed the Trojans a plane ticket home from Indianapolis.
It wasn’t a level playing field from the start – well-rested Purdue tipped off after a bye while the Trojans were less than 24 hours off a 50-minute game against Rutgers Wednesday night – but USC fought until the end.
Purdue’s strict man-to-man defense put immediate pressure on USC’s offensive rhythm, draining the shot clock despite the Trojans’ desperate attempts to score.
The Boilermakers opened with a much more consistent start, notching points on all of their first five possessions.
The Trojans adjusted their game plan, finding backdoor routes and relentlessly attacking the rim five times in under five minutes to formulate a lead. The team shot just 25% from the three during the half but accumulated 20 points in the paint.
Momentum heightened with graduate forward Josh Cohen drawing fouls from Kaufman-Renn and junior guard Fletcher Loyer. Cohen’s and-one fueled the 11-0 USC run that pushed the Trojans up by 10.
Purdue’s response? A 10-point run of its own. Kaufman-Renn and sophomore forward Camden Heide combined for 4-for-4 shooting to eliminate Purdue’s deficit and help tie the game at halftime.
The final 20 minutes of this matchup were the epitome of March college basketball. It was an extremely physical battle, and both teams left everything on the court, neither one sinking below a six-point deficit.
Junior guard Desmond Claude left midway through the first half after collecting two personal fouls and returned 58 minutes real-time later to open the second half. However, he quickly picked up his third and fourth personal fouls just four minutes after stepping on the court.
The Trojans’ leading scorer wasn’t the only one plagued with foul trouble.
Redshirt freshman guard Wesley Yates III and graduate guard Chibuzo Agbo also collected four each and graduate forward Rashaun Agee fouled out with three seconds remaining. Two of Agee’s came in the final minute of the game and resulted in four made free throws by Purdue.
“I thought the game plan, even with the guys in foul trouble, I thought we could have won the game, but we didn’t,” head coach Eric Musselman said. “This is probably the most difficult game I’ve ever lost with a team, and I’ve been coaching a really, really long time.”
USC’s defense also struggled to shut down Kaufman-Renn, who finished with 30 points and seven rebounds. The Trojans managed to hold Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith to 3-for-10 from the field, but Smith took advantage of his open teammates and finished the game with nine assists.
Purdue only outrebounded USC by three, but head coach Matt Painter believes it was a key component to Purdue’s four-point victory.
“I thought the difference in the game probably for us was just barely out rebounding [USC],” Painter said. “If you look at a possession game and just getting three more rebounds, it doesn’t look like it’s much, but I thought [Heide’s] ability to rebound really helped us.”
USC’s season is over, while Purdue advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday against Michigan. The teams will play in Gainbridge Fieldhouse 25 minutes after Illinois and Maryland conclude.