Rodney Rice has triple-double to lead USC past Illinois State

INGLEWOOD — Three games into head coach Eric Musselman’s second USC campaign, the Trojans seem to have formed an identity. Despite retooling the majority of the roster, these Trojans understand who they are, and the results have followed.

They are long, athletic, and versatile. Disruptive on defense and reliant on two wily guards to ignite the offense.

On Friday, both Rodney Rice and Chad Baker-Mazara took turns as the engine. Rice set a patient tone, contributing across the board with 21 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds as USC shot out to a 20-point lead. But when Illinois State pushed back, Baker-Mazara took responsibility as the closer, shutting the door on the Redbirds in an 87-67 win.

While the guards controlled the offense, the fortress of perimeter length held the Redbirds to 34% shooting from the field and 22% from 3-point range.

“At the rate that we were playing defensively, it’s hard to do,” Musselman said. “We’re defending pretty good.”

For the opening game of Friday’s Hall of Fame Series doubleheader, the Intuit Dome was far from filled for a 4:30 p.m. tip-off, but USC brought the energy. Especially on defense.

The Trojans (3-0) unleashed a full-court press, throwing Illinois State (1-2) off balance from the jump. They flew out to a healthy lead before the Redbirds hit a pair of 3-pointers to cut the margin to 21-15. But then USC went on a 15-0 run, its defensive pressure paying dividends.

The Trojans hounded ball-handlers, forcing them into tough drives funneled toward rim protector Gabe Dynes. The 7-foot-5 Dynes is a luxury on a team already stacked with wingspans. He commanded the paint after entering the game with the second unit, blocking ISU layup attempts on three consecutive possessions and finishing off a pick-and-roll with Rice.

“We thought tonight was a great matchup for Gabe,” Musselman said. “Gabe was really able to change shot trajectories around the rim. … He was awesome on both sides.

Terrance Williams intercepted an errant pass and drew a foul in the open court, his free throws extending the Trojans’ lead to 34-15.

In the second half, however, Illinois State began to take better care of the ball, which led to better looks. Tyreek Coleman hit a left-wing 3-pointer and drove for an up-and-under layup and Johnny Kezinger scored from point-blank range to cut the margin to 52-44.

Baker-Mazara calmed the Redbirds’ surge with patient half-court offense. He drew fouls on three consecutive drives, getting free points at the line. He came off a ball screen for a smooth 18-footer. He drove the baseline and rose above a Redbirds’ defender to rattle home a dunk.

“I slid Chad over to play some point tonight when Rodney cramped up, and I thought Chad did a really good job for us as well,” Musselman said.

Baker-Mazara scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half.

He found Rice for a corner 3-pointer and then Amarion Dickerson hit a right-wing 3-pointer to increase the lead back to 19.

In the final minute, Rice threw a dart to Ezra Ausar, who dunked it home, the assist completing Rice’s triple-double, just the second in USC basketball history. Each of his teammates stood and applauded as he captured the feat, signifying the togetherness across USC’s roster.

“It’s been a great team that has a lot of joy in practice,” Musselman said. “I have great respect for their professionalism, but also they have fun together.”

That showed on the court Friday. While Illinois State briefly challenged USC to open the second half, the Trojans cruised for much of their victory.

Their length and effort posed an issue throughout the game. The Redbirds rarely seemed comfortable and organized offensively, while USC seemed so at home that the Intuit Dome might as well have been the Galen Center.