Illness hits USC men, but Desmond Claude’s return helps them defeat Penn State

Wesley Yates III wiped the sweat already pouring from his forehead and steeled himself for the 40 brutal minutes to come. It had already been a miserable week, as an illness wreaked havoc on USC’s rotation, right after the Trojans returned from a two-loss trip. Yates and fellow starter Chibuzo Agbo had been among the hardest hit. Both were on IV drips as of Tuesday afternoon, leaving their status very much in question a few hours later for a game that USC desperately needed.

But by tip Tuesday against Penn State, they took their places as usual, with little more than flop sweat to suggest something was amiss. So, too, did Desmond Claude, the point guard whose bruised knee held him out of the previous two games.

None of USC’s three top scorers would be anywhere near 100%. Claude would fight through a minor limp all night, tending to his knee at each stoppage, while Agbo and Yates would look a bit sluggish in stretches, still fighting through symptoms. But with the Trojans’ tournament hopes hinging on turning around their season in a hurry, the trio delivered in a 92-67 victory over Penn State.

Agbo, whose status was perhaps the most in doubt Tuesday, looked as smooth as ever from three-point range as he hit seven of his nine attempts from long range to lead the team with 21 points, tying a season high. Yates would add two of his own from deep, finishing with 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. Neither looked at all like they’d spent the last several days sick and depleted.

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An aching knee couldn’t slow Claude, either, as he knifed through the lane with ease Tuesday, exploding for 10 first-half points before dialing it back after halftime. Without him the previous two games, USC (14-10, 6-7 Big Ten) had been largely aimless on offense. But in his return, Claude scored 16 points and dished out eight assists as the Trojans quickly regained their footing on that end.

It couldn’t have come soon enough, considering how tightly the Trojans are now clinging to the NCAA tournament bubble. With four losses in their past seven games, USC can’t afford to drop many more winnable games this season, especially against teams below them in the Big Ten standings.

That was never really in doubt Tuesday. After a sloppy start that saw the Trojans turn the ball over five times in four minutes, USC hit 12 of its first 16 shots from the field. Penn State (13-12, 3-11) went nine minutes without converting a field goal, and the Trojans built up a 17-point lead in the first half.

Nothing could hold them back from there, as USC was lifted Tuesday night by a trio who hadn’t been sure they’d play just a few hours earlier.