Desmond Claude came crashing down to the hardwood, his right knee caught awkwardly in a collision, with the whole of Galen Center holding its breath. For USC, with its tournament hopes ever tentative, there were few more troubling sights than this one: Their leading scorer and floor general crumpled in a heap on the baseline, clutching his knee.
Somehow, Claude would miss only five minutes, reemerging from the locker room with only a slight limp, determined to fight through the pain at whatever cost. It was a fitting image for what happened the rest of the way, as USC fought through an afternoon gauntlet to take down No. 7 Michigan State, 70-64, in what was unquestionably the biggest victory to date for new coach Eric Musselman.
Not only does it mark USC’s second win over a top-20 team in the past month, but the win would be the Trojans’ second Big Ten victory at home, where they’ve struggled since the start of Big Ten Conference play.
It would take a courageous performance from Claude, who shook off an aching knee to score 19 points, and gutsy efforts from its other two starting guards, Chibuzo Agbo and Wesley Yates III, who combined for 29.
USC, which defeated Illinois 82-72 on the road Jan. 11, actually led from start to finish Saturday, but at every turn, Michigan State threatened to climb back, several times cutting the lead to a single bucket.
Just a few days earlier, after USC’s fourth Big Ten loss at home in five tries, Agee suggested that the Trojans had been “a little too relaxed” starting games inside the friendly confines of Galen Center. Meanwhile, on the road, USC was 3-1 in its new conference, with a marquee win over a top-10 team already on its resume.
Yet there were no such concerns on Saturday, as USC was stifling from the start, successfully fronting the post and clamping down on the interior. Within seven minutes, USC had soared to a 15-point lead, while Michigan State struggled to find any semblance of rhythm.
Claude would be the catalyst to that scorching start, days after Musselman made clear that his leading scorer needed to be more aggressive with the ball. He took that advice to heart Saturday, knifing through the lane and attacking the rim early and often. He scored 11 of USC’s first 22 points, looking well on his way to a career day.
Then, midway through the first half, Claude chased down a Spartans fastbreak, lifted up to block the layup and fell awkwardly on his knee. Wincing with pain, he left for the locker room, unable to put any weight on his right leg.
Michigan State would climb back in short order, cutting what was once a 15-point lead to just a single possession.
Claude would return eventually, and so would the stifling defense. The Spartans would still try to scratch and claw there way back from there, but it was the Trojans who were still standing as the final seconds ticked away, with another critical win in hand.
