USC men’s basketball (6-0) remains undefeated, bouncing back from a shaky first half to take down the Seton Hall Pirates 83-81 in the semifinals of the Southwest Maui Invitational on Tuesday afternoon. The win sends the Trojans to the championship game, marking a major early-season statement for head coach Eric Musselman’s roster.
The Trojans entered the night following a 70-67 victory over Boise State, powered by junior guard Rodney Rice’s 27-point performance. Musselman emphasized the need to rebound and match Seton Hall’s physicality heading into this matchup.
“We’ve got to defensive rebound,” Musselman said during a postgame interview with Andy Katz. “They take on the personality of the head coach. They’re tough-minded.”
USC opened the first half with pace and energy. Senior forward Ezra Ausar quickly scored the first five points of the game and set the tone for his most complete performance of the season. Still, Seton Hall quickly disrupted USC’s rhythm, forcing six Trojan turnovers in the opening minutes and converting 13 first-half points off giveaways.
A 15-2 Seton Hall run midway through the first half pushed the Pirates ahead, 32-19, its largest lead of the game. USC scrambled through the pressure until the offense shifted into Rice’s hands.
Rice scored 13 of USC’s final 17 points of the first half, including three 3-pointers that at one point cut the lead deficit to six, giving USC hope of finding its way back into the game. Freshman guard Jerry Easter II added a buzzer-beating jumper to send USC into halftime trailing just 42-38, swinging momentum back toward the Trojans.
Coming out of halftime, it was evident that the Trojans adjusted their approach. USC slowed the pace of the game, valued possessions, and forced Seton Hall into foul trouble, an approach the Pirates struggled to match.
Graduate guard Chad Baker-Mazara became the catalyst. Rice left early in the second half due to a right shoulder injury, so Baker-Mazara assumed control of the offense by knocking down crucial shots from the arc and the charity stripe. At 13:44 of the second half, Baker-Mazara tied the game 57-57, and moments later, senior guard Amarion Dickerson’s 3-pointer gave USC its first lead, 60-57, since early in the first half.
The Trojans improved shot selection, generated second-chance opportunities, with USC securing 11 offensive rebounds. Ausar continued to impose his physicality, finishing 15-of-19 at the line and raising the Trojans’ interior scoring presence. Baker-Mazara built USC’s largest lead of the game, 69-61, with two clutch free throws with less than 10 minutes on the game clock.
Seton Hall refused to fade. Graduate guard AJ Staton-McCray drilled a clutch three with 1:02 remaining to tie the game, 78-78. But USC responded with composure.
With 27 seconds remaining, Baker-Mazara drew contact and buried both free throws to put USC back in front 80-78. After a dead-ball rebound on the next possession, junior guard Jordan Marsh knocked down a free throw to extend the margin to three, 81-78, then added two more points with one second left to seal the deal, 83-81.
The Trojans delivered one of the most disciplined halves of the Musselman era. After committing 10 turnovers in the first half, USC surrendered just six in the second, limiting Seton Hall’s transition opportunities. The Trojans’ late-game execution reversed the chaotic first half that nearly buried them.
Ausar had a season-best performance, ending the game with 25 points and eight rebounds.
USC advances to the Southwest Maui Invitational championship game, seeking its first-ever title in the tournament. Musselman’s group will carry a sharpened identity into the final: a team that can withstand turbulence, control tempo, and trust its preparation when the game tightens.