Overview
- USC beat Illinois State 87-67 at the Intuit Dome, improving to 3-0.
- A 31-8 first-half run built a 36-15 cushion before the Redbirds trimmed the margin to 48-42 early in the second half.
- Chad Baker-Mazara steadied USC with seven points in a 13-2 burst that restored control.
- Seven-foot-five center Gabe Dynes contributed 14 points, five rebounds and three blocks, and Ezra Ausar added 13 after jump-starting the second half.
- The win follows a 114-point game against Manhattan, USC's highest since 1998, underscoring an offense exceeding preseason expectations.