A camera panning to Eric Musselman with five minutes remaining in Tuesday’s bout with Oregon revealed an unfamiliar sight: the USC head coach, known for his in-game intensity, wiping away tears of joy courtside. 

Musselman’s reaction followed an impressive maneuver by senior forward Ezra Ausar, wherein he bounced the ball off Oregon junior forward Kwame Evans to keep the Trojans on offense, just one of USC’s gritty triumphs in an 82-77 win over the Ducks (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten). The No. 24 Trojans (8-0, 1-0) were propelled by a mid-game surge to win their first true road game of the season.

Despite offseason concerns about an almost entirely new roster, Musselman’s revamp has proved successful thus far. The Trojans are 8-0 for the first time since 2016, have already captured a Southwest Maui Invitational win and boast the Big Ten’s second-highest producing offense. 

“I’m super impressed with our ability to win close games,” Musselman said in a postgame news conference. “We’re having limited bodies, but … I’m super impressed with guys stepping up when their name is called.” 

Senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara continued his prolific campaign, shooting 50% from the field in a 25-point effort, his fourth outing with more than 20 points this season. Five USC players, Baker-Mazara, sophomore forward Jacob Cofie, Ausar, graduate forward Jaden Brownell and freshman guard Jerry Easter II, managed double digits on the night. 

The first half of Tuesday’s game saw the Ducks dictate the pace. Efforts from Cofie and Baker-Mazara kept the Trojans within reach, but Oregon’s success from beyond the arc — 43% on the day — gave them a 10-point lead with five minutes remaining in the period. 

A 14-2 USC run, which included six consecutive points from Cofie, pulled the Trojans ahead briefly, before Oregon tied it up at 39 just before the half. 

Cofie stood out on both ends, notching 17 points alongside four rebounds and three steals. Graduate guard Ryan Cornish scored his first points of the year, playing a season-high 15 minutes, and Brownell also impressed, tallying 11 points and three rebounds.

Even without junior guard Rodney Rice, who suffered an upper-arm injury against Seton Hall University (8-1) last week, the Trojans maintained their resolve. His absence was eased by a strong performance from Easter II, who posted a career-high 11 points in his first start of the season. 

Oregon was similarly subdued by injury. Ducks senior center Nate Bittle was forced to sit out after suffering a twisted ankle against San Diego State University (4-3) last week. Bittle is the Ducks’ primary facilitator, averaging nearly eight rebounds per game this year. The Trojans sized up well against the Ducks without Bittle, securing 35 rebounds against Oregon’s middling 27.

USC’s upswing before the break carried over into the second half, where the Trojans led for 11 straight minutes. 

Ausar, who didn’t attempt a field goal in the first half, resurrected early in the second, totaling 13 points and nine rebounds. Despite four missed free throws, his ability to draw contact in the paint at pivotal moments was paramount to USC’s steady handle on its lead. 

His two successful free throws with 10 minutes remaining grew the Trojan lead to six, their biggest advantage to that point. With eight minutes left, Oregon mustered a one-point advantage that was quickly squashed by a 3-point jumper from Ausar.

Down the stretch, Oregon tried, nearly successfully, to erase USC’s marginal lead, but Baker-Mazara’s stepback trey with just over a minute remaining extended the Trojans’ edge to six, effectively ending the Ducks’ comeback bid. 

“As the game wore on, we settled into who we really are,” Musselman said in a postgame news conference. “We outrebounded Oregon, which was one of our themes going into the game.”

USC will continue its conference slate against Washington (5-3) Saturday at 3 p.m at Galen Center.