Hoosiers Now

LIVE BLOG: Updates From Indiana's Game Against USC Wednesday At Assembly Hall

Welcome to our live blog for Wednesday's Big Ten conference game between Indiana and USC at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, where we'll share live updates, highlights, stats and thoughts on the game as the action unfolds.

Jack Ankony

Indiana's Trey Galloway (32 and the Hoosiers huddle against Rutgers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Indiana's Trey Galloway (32 and the Hoosiers huddle against Rutgers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana looks to keep its win streak alive as it welcomes the USC Trojans to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the first time in program history. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, and the game will air on the Big Ten Network.

Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers have won four straight games against Penn State, Rutgers, Winthrop and Chattanooga, improving to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play. In their first season under coach Eric Musselman, USC is 9-5 overall with a 1-2 record in the conference. The Trojans are the first men's team from the old Pac-12 conference to come to Assembly Hall this season.

Welcome to our live blog, where we'll share updates, highlights, stats and thoughts on the game in real time from Assembly Hall.

Final: Indiana 82, USC 69. After a slow start, Indiana put together a good performance for its fifth straight win. Ballo was dominant, with 23 points and eight rebounds. Yates led USC with 18. Indiana (13-3, 4-1) at Iowa Saturday for its first of 11 straight Quad 1 games. Here's the final box score.

Indiana-USC Basketball
Indiana-USC final box score. / statbroadcast

2H 3:02 – USC trims IU's lead down to 73-65 with 3:02 to play, but Tucker will have two free throws after the break as he was fouled by Thomas inside. Indiana has built double-digit leads several times in the second half but hasn't been able to complete put the Trojans away.

2H 4:39 – Nice pass from Rice inside to Ballo for another easy basket. Carlyle corralled the loose ball to set that one up. USC simply doesn't have enought size to hang with Ballo inside. Rice dropped it off to Ballo on the following possession, and he finished through a USC foul. IU leads 70-58.

2H 7:56 – Bryson Tucker is having a nice game for Indiana tonight. Sometimes it feels like you can tell Tucker is going to put up a shot, but that doesn't make it any easier for the defense to stop it. Tucker simply knows how to get to the shots he likes on the floor, most recently spinning through the lane for a layup. He's got eight points onf 4-for-8 shooting. Goode hits a three while being fouled, and the Assembly Hall crowd goes wild as IU leads 65-52.

2H 9:51 – Good effort from Galloway to run down an offensive rebound. After a reset, Rice drove and drew a foul but only split the pair. He'll rest with 12 points, replaced by Carlyle. IU leads 60-52.

2H 11:43 Indiana playing much better in the second half, now leading USC 57-47 at the under-12 timeout. USC has no answer for Ballo, who has 16 points (6-6 FG, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds and two blocks. Galloway has been good too. USC is 3 for 11 in the second half, 2:44 scoring drought.

2H 12:15 – Assembly Hall is really getting loud now after another Ballo dunk. USC's Rashaun Agee tried to draw an offensive foul by flopping, but he didn't get the call. Ballo had a clear lane to the basket, bringing his total to 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting. IU leads 57-47.

2H 13:52 – I liked that set from Indiana to set up a Ballo dunk. Rice drove hard, then flipped it to Galloway who was cutting hard in the opposite direction with a head of steam. Galloway then threw a perfect lob to Ballo for the finish. Indiana is playing much better in the second half, now leading 53-47.

2H 15:09 – IU leads USC 49-43 at the under-16 timeout. Rice will have two free throws after the break. Good start to the second half for Trey Galloway, with seven quick points. Indiana has really cut down the turnovers after three quick ones.

2H 16:21 – Timeout USC, trailing 47-41. Really nice move by Myles Rice to get to the basket for a layup. He spun around the initial defender, then quickly scooped the ball to the rim before USC's interior defense could get there. Rice got to the rim a few possessions later and swung a cross-court pass to Galloway in the corner for a 3-pointer. Rice has 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists tonight.

2H 18:08 – Claude opened up the second half scoring with a layup. He got past Galloway on the perimeter and finished with a reverse over Ballo. Galloway's pass to Ballo was tipped on a pick and roll, but Ballo was able to collect it and finish the layup. Tied 40-40.

Halftime: Indiana 38, USC 38. Rough start for the Hoosiers, trailing by as many as 10 points, but they played better in the final 10 minutes of the half. Goode (3-3 3pt FG) and Ballo (10 pts, 5 reb) have been bright spots. Need to get Mgbako (0-7) going in the second half. Here's the halftime box score.

Indiana Basketball
Indiana-USC halftime box score. / statbroadcast

1H 1:16 – Luke Goode has been a bright spot for Indiana tonight. He's knocked down all three 3-point attempts, while the rest of the Hoosiers are just 1-for-9 from 3-point range. He followed up his latest three with a shot fake into a pull-up jumper just above the free throw line. IU leads 37-33.

1H 3:25 – IU takes its first lead of the game, 30-28, with a layup from Ballo. He's up to eight points now, making both attempts from the field and all four free throws. USC doesn't really have an individual player who can stop him inside.

1H 3:54 – USC leads Indiana 28-26 at the under-4 timeout. USC is 1 for its last 7 from the field as Indiana has gotten back into this game. I'd like to see Indiana get Ballo more involved. He had a dominant 25-point performance Sunday at Penn State, but he's attempted just one shot tonight.

1H 5:42 – Rice ties it up 24-24 with a pair of free throws. That's an 8-0 run for Indiana, and Assembly Hall is on its feet. USC has not scored in 2:46. Carlyle knocked down a 3-pointer a minute ago after making just one of his last 14 shots.

1H 6:40 – Indiana is up to five turnovers now after a lazy pass from Tucker, trying to find Ballo at the high post.A nice pass from Ballo to a cutting Anthony Leal leads to a USC foul, but Leal only splits the pair. IU trails 24-19.

1H 7:49 – IU trails USC 24-18 at the under-8 timeout. Indiana has not played well on either end, shooting just 34.8% and allowing too much at the rim on defense. Kanaan Carlyle is now 1 for 14 from the field in his last four games.

1H 8:55 – Good sequence there from freshman Bryson Tucker. He shook his defender for a mid-range pull-up jumper, then forced a turnover on the defensive end. That's a 4-0 run for IU, trailing 22-16.

1H 10:56 – Indiana leads the total rebounding margin 11-9, but the Hoosiers have looked content to go one and done on the offensive end. There hasn't been a ton of effort to crash the offensive boards when shots don't fall. Goode sunk his second three, and Carlyle checks in for Rice. Claude splits a pair at the free throw line. USC leads 20-12.

1H 12:22 – Timeout Indiana, trailing USC 17-9. Hoosiers can't get much to fall offensively, going 4 for 15 from the field and 1 for 6 from three. IU hasn't scored in 3:04. Mgbako has missed all seven attempts. Rice has three turnovers. USC is successfully getting into the lane as all five starters have scored.

1H 13:12 – Mgbako is off to a particularly cold start from the field, missing each of his first six shots, four of which came from 3-point range. Agbo pushes USC's lead to 17-9 with a mid-range jumper.

1H 15:04 – USC leads Indiana 11-9 at the under-16 timeout. Rice sliced through the USC defense for a layup, then Galloway found him for a fast break layup on the following possession. Saint Thomas answered with a floater over Ballo. Luke Goode knocked down Indiana's first 3-pointer of the game. Indiana is off to a slow shooting start, just 4 for 12 from the field and 1 for 5 from 3-point range.

1H 17:35 – Ballo puts the Hoosiers on the board with a putback off of Mgbako's missed layup. The Hoosiers are off to a cold start from the floor, making just one of its first seven shots. USC leads 5-2.

1H 18:56 – Rice attempted Indiana's first two shots and missed. Solid looks on a free-throw line jumper and a 3-pointer in the corner, but the didn't fall. He traveled on the third possession. Agbo opened the scoring with a 3-pointer from the right wing. USC leads 3-0.

6:44 p.m. – Indiana starters remain the same from the Penn State game: Myles Rice, Trey Galloway, Luke Goode, Mackenzie Mgbako and Oumar Ballo. For USC, it's Desmond Claude, Wesley Yates III, Chibuzo Agbo, Saint Thomas and Josh Cohen.

4 p.m. – Indiana will be without junior power forward Malik Reneau again due to a right knee injury he suffered on the second possession of the Hoosiers' 84-74 win over Rutgers on Jan. 2. Luke Goode started in Reneau's absence Sunday at Penn State and scored 12 points in 25 minutes. For Woodson's full comments on Reneau's injury, CLICK HERE. USC listed Terrance Williams (10.6 ppg), Matt Knowling (3.8 ppg) and Kallai Patton (has not played this year) out on the Big Ten availability report.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

  • BLOOMINGTON WEATHER UPDATE: Snow was cleared from the parking lots adjacent to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as of Wednesday afternoon. CLICK HERE
  • RENEAU INJURY UPDATE: The Hoosiers will be without Malik Reneau for a second straight full game as they host USC Wednesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE
  • KEY TO BALLO'S SUCCESS: The absence of Malik Reneau has fueled several theories that it's made Oumar Ballo better for Indiana. Many of Ballo’s successful plays feature him in motion, not in stationary positions on the floor. CLICK HERE
  • HOW TO WATCH: Indiana will try to win its fifth straight game as USC visits Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the first time. CLICK HERE
  • MEET THE OPPONENT: USC is new to the Big Ten and it has a revamped roster and new coach too. CLICK HERE.
  • 3 THINGS TO WATCH: Three things to watch for when Indiana takes on Southern California on Wednesday. CLICK HERE.
Published |Modified
Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

Home/Basketball