Written by 
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois couldn’t find an answer against the Trojans on Saturday, resulting in just their second double-digit loss of the season.
The Illini were playing from behind for most of the second half in the 82-72 loss to snap a five-game win streak.
This game quickly became the Desmond Claude show, as the USC guard dropped a game-and-season-high 31 points. The Illini also struggled mightily from behind the arc, shooting just 22% from three-point range.
The board battle was also lost, as USC outrebounded Illinois 37-34. During their five-game win streak, the Illini outrebounded every team they played by double digits.
USC also scored 46 points in the paint. That’s the most points in the paint given up by the Illini since Alabama scored 50 on Nov. 7.
Despite leading by three going into the break, Illinois was outscored 47-34 in the second half. They struggled to keep possession of the ball as well, racking up 15 turnovers while shooting just 37% from the field.
The loss dropped Illinois to 4-2 in conference play and 12-4 overall. The orange and blue will look to have a bounce back performance as they head to Bloomington to take on the Hoosiers this Tuesday.