In a game that gave new meaning to the ancient Battle of Troy, the USC Trojans outlasted the Troy University Trojans 107-106 in a historic triple-overtime marathon at the Galen Center on Thursday night. When two teams bearing the same warrior moniker collided, something legendary was bound to happen—and the basketball gods delivered an instant classic that lifted USC to 4-0 on the season.
Junior guard Jordan Marsh’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer with one second remaining in the third overtime period capped off USC’s first triple-overtime victory in program history, while handing Troy (4-3) a heartbreaking defeat in one of college basketball’s most thrilling early-season matchups.
Head coach Eric Musselman was expecting the match to be an intense one.
“It’s a good example of travel and their first two games [in California] they didn’t play very good on this road trip,” he said. “Then you get used to the time zone, same thing happens in the NBA, they just went down to SDSU and won.”
Musselman continued to highlight his vexation with the Big Ten, saying that the conference should allow more than two-game cross country road trips because the Troy Trojans were in California for four games — games three and four being their best.
The game lived up to its mythological billing from the opening tip. Neither team could establish dominance through regulation, with USC trailing by a small margin for much of the first half before Marsh’s 3-pointer gave the home Trojans its biggest lead at five points with just under two minutes to go in the half. Troy refused to yield, rallying to tie the game 29-29 at halftime in a defensive struggle that hinted that this game was nowhere near done.
The second half saw USC assert itself behind the stellar play of senior forward Ezra Ausar, who scored the team’s first 11 points of the period to help build an 11-point advantage. But Troy demonstrated resilience, clawing back repeatedly and forcing overtime with a 3-pointer in the final eight seconds of regulation by sophomore guard Cooper Campbell—shooting 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.
“We did lead for 33 and they led for 15 minutes of the game, it wasn’t like we hit a shot at the end and didn’t have some leads,” Musselman said. “There were some times where we could have closed this game out, twice with free throws, once with a defensive stop and we just came up short in all those areas.”
What followed was an extraordinary display of endurance and determination. Through three overtime periods, neither team would surrender. Senior forward Amarion Dickerson, making his first start as a Trojan, opened the first overtime with a deep 3-pointer that energized the Galen Center crowd. Yet, Troy answered every USC surge with one of its own, forcing a second overtime tied at 78-78, then a third overtime deadlocked at 89-89.
The hero of the night was graduate guard Chad Baker-Mazara, who delivered a career-defining performance with 34 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks all in front of his parents who flew in to surprise him from the Dominican Republic. His 34-point outburst marked the highest scoring output by a USC player since O.J. Mayo’s 34-point performance against Cal Berkeley on Jan. 3, 2008. Baker-Mazara was particularly clutch in the second overtime, hitting three consecutive jumpers to keep USC’s hopes alive.
“It was extremely special,” Baker-Mazara said of the surprise. “My big brother and I were talking about how I’ve been in college for a long time and I’ve never had a 30 ball, so this is really exciting, being able to accomplish that with my family.”
Junior guard Rodney Rice provided essential support throughout with a season-high 26 points and nine assists, while Ausar finished with 22 points with 20 coming after halftime. The balanced attack proved crucial in weathering Troy’s relentless pressure.
In the final overtime, with USC trailing and time evaporating, Rice forced a critical steal and found Marsh for the decisive shot. As the ball left Marsh’s hands with one second on the clock, the Galen Center held its breath.
“When I was shooting the ball, I thought, dang, it’s over with,” Marsh admitted. “I thought he was going to tip it, or I was going to hit all backboard. But God came through, and I’m just thankful we got the win.”
The victory marked only the second triple-overtime game in USC program history, with the previous resulting in a loss to Colorado in 2015. Musselman praised his team’s composure in the multiple overtime periods, noting that the experience would prove invaluable as USC prepares for the high-pressure environment of the Southwest Maui Invitational next week.
“I’ve coached in Maui, it’s an intense environment, games will be sold out and it’s a loud, compact and unique arena,” Musselman said. “You gotta be able to play through high pressure situations.”
In the first round of the tournament, the Trojans will play the Boise State Broncos at Lahaina Civic Center on Nov. 24.