Arenas and Rice combine for 62 as USC Edges Wichita State 93-86

USC Edges Wichita State 93-86 Behind Arenas and Rice

Sophomore guard Alijah Arenas and senior guard Rodney Rice combined for 62 points on Sunday night, carrying the No. 21 USC Trojans to a narrow 93-86 victory over Wichita State in the inaugural Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic.

The win brings USC to a 2-0 record while dropping the Shockers to 1-1. Last season, Arenas and Rice never played a game together. Rice enjoyed a strong start before a season-ending injury occurred in the team’s sixth game, whereas Arenas, who was recovering from his own injury, was unable to play until the third week of Big Ten competition.

Foul Trouble and Free Throws Shape the Game

The matchup featured constant whistles and extensive trips to the charity stripe. About half of USC’s combined point total came from free throws, with Arenas and Rice sinking 29 of their 32 attempts.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: USCs’ Ratliff Twins, Rodney Rice And Alijah Arenas Lead Trojans In A Big Win

The biggest thing is their ability to put pressure on the defense with free throws attempted, and then converting from the foul line, Head Coach Eric Musselman said in a postgame news conference.

USC finished shooting an 88% clip from the line, going 37-for-42. Meanwhile, Wichita State shot 25-for-36 from the stripe. The Trojans struggled with foul trouble throughout the night, committing 26 fouls and losing three players—junior forward Jacob Cofie, freshman center Darius Ratliff, and senior guard KJ Lewis—who fouled out with more than five minutes remaining.

It was a gamble to be overly aggressive, which we were, which is why we had so many guys foul out, Musselman said. We were overly aggressive, but that swung everything from three turnovers [for Wichita State] in their game one to a large number of turnovers this game.

Arenas and Rice combine for 62 as USC Edges Wichita State 93-86

Perimeter Shooting Struggles Contrast with Turnover Battle

Despite the win, USC faced severe challenges from beyond the arc. The team went 1-for-7 from the 3-point line in the first half and finished the game shooting an abysmal 14%, making only two of 14 attempts.

Wichita State capitalized early, shooting 58% from deep in the first half with seven 3-pointers. The Shockers also out-rebounded USC 38 to 34 overall, securing 20 total boards in the first half alone to build a two-point halftime lead.

Alijah Arenas | Career High 30 PTS vs Wichita State | 11.8.26

However, the Trojans dominated the turnover battle. USC committed only 10 turnovers while forcing Wichita State into 20, translating to 24 points off turnovers compared to just 11 for the Shockers.

Individual Performances Spur the Comeback

Arenas recorded a career-high 30 points on 50% shooting from the field. Rice added a career-high 32 points, alongside nine assists and five rebounds.

Freshman forward Adonis Ratliff earned his first career double-double with 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, despite going 0-for-4 from 3-point range. Georgetown transfer KJ Lewis added five points, two assists, and two steals in 16 minutes of bench play.