Rodney Rice Stunning, Best Triple-Double Lifts USC
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — USC’s early-season surge found a new gear Friday night as Maryland transfer Rodney Rice authored a statement performance in the Trojans’ 87-67 win over Illinois State at the Intuit Dome, the opener of the Hall of Fame Series doubleheader. With a commanding 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, the Rodney Rice triple-double powered a balanced USC attack that put four Trojans in double figures and kept the Redbirds at bay whenever momentum threatened to shift.
A fast start and relentless ball movement defined USC’s night at the Intuit Dome as the Trojans improved to 3-0 with authority.
USC flexed first and hardest, using length, pace, and a searing 31-8 first-half run to build a 36-15 lead. Rice orchestrated the surge with 11 early points, while Gabe Dynes punctuated possessions with power around the rim, including a pair of emphatic dunks that swung the arena’s energy squarely toward the Trojans. By halftime, Illinois State had trimmed the deficit to 40-26 behind back-to-back threes from Johnny Kinziger and Mason Klabo, but USC’s control never truly wavered.
Rodney Rice triple-double sets tone at Intuit Dome
– Rice’s line — 21-10-10 — was as efficient as it was assertive. He toggled between scorer and playmaker seamlessly, steadying the Trojans when Illinois State mounted its best push.
– Chad Baker-Mazara added 18 points, providing timely shot-making, including a quick-strike three that ignited USC’s decisive second-half answer.
– Dynes chipped in 14 points, continuing to be a force in the paint, while Ezra Ausar piled up 13, underscoring the Trojans’ depth and balance.
Illinois State (1-2) showed plenty of resolve after falling behind by as many as 21. Coming out of halftime, the Redbirds authored a brave 16-11 burst to close the gap to 48-42, sparked by Ty’Reek Coleman’s slashing drives and ball pressure that finally disrupted USC’s rhythm. Coleman finished with 16, while Kinziger added 15 in a tireless effort as the Redbirds tried to extend the game from beyond the arc and in transition.
But every time Illinois State threatened, USC’s response was decisive. Baker-Mazara delivered seven points during a 13-2 run that rebuilt the cushion to 60-44, and soon after, back-to-back threes from Rice and Amarion Dickerson pushed the lead to 76-57, effectively sealing it. The Trojans’ pacing, spacing, and defensive rotations frustrated dribble penetration and closed out cleanly on shooters for much of the night, allowing them to dictate terms on both ends.
USC settled the contest with a blend of shot-making and composure, answering every push with a run of its own.
For USC, this was more than a routine nonconference win — it was a second straight statement. The Trojans entered the night riding momentum from a 31-point rout of Manhattan in which they dropped 114 points, the most ever scored at Galen Center and the fifth-highest total in program history. Against Illinois State, they showed they can win comfortably without needing an offensive avalanche, thanks to defense, rebounding, and the poise of a floor general who just posted the program’s headline performance of the young season.
The evening also showcased the Trojans’ evolving identity: interchangeable wings who can guard up or down, a rim-running big drawing gravity, and a lead guard capable of controlling tempo. That mix helped USC withstand Illinois State’s mid-game surge and keep the contest at the Trojans’ preferred pace. When the Redbirds tightened the screws, USC kept moving the ball; when the game needed a bucket, Rice, Baker-Mazara, or Dynes found it. It’s a profile that travels and one that should hold up as the schedule stiffens.
Illinois State’s resilience remains a positive indicator for a program that won 22 games last season — its most in nine years — and is seeking to build on that progress. The Redbirds’ best stretch came with quick-hitting offense and multiple efforts defensively, but USC’s second and third options kept appearing, and the Redbirds could not string enough stops together to turn a run into a true momentum swing.
Key moments that defined the game
– The 31-8 first-half blast: Rice jump-started it, Dynes finished possessions, and USC’s defense stacked stops.
– The 48-42 checkpoint: Illinois State’s closest moment, punctuated by Coleman’s assertiveness, before USC answered.
– The knockout flurry: Baker-Mazara’s seven in the 13-2 run, followed by consecutive threes from Rice and Dickerson, reasserted control.
What’s next
– Illinois State visits Long Beach State on Sunday, a quick turnaround to test their legs and resolve after a physical game in Inglewood.
– USC hosts Troy on Thursday, looking to extend its unbeaten start with the momentum of a signature performance from Rice in hand.
On a night that asked for a clean close to a game that had tightened, the Rodney Rice triple-double delivered exactly that: composure, pace, and production. If this is a preview of how the Trojans will operate with Rice as their engine and a deep cast around him, USC’s ceiling rises meaningfully as November turns to December.
News by The Vagabond News
