Washington Huskies defeat USC Trojans in Big Ten Tournament

Huskies' dominant inside play and rebounding prove too much for Trojans

Mar. 11, 2026 at 5:52pm

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The Washington Huskies defeated the USC Trojans 79-73 in the Big Ten Tournament, continuing their season sweep of the Trojans. The Huskies' freshman big man Hannes Steinbach had a monster game, recording 22 points and 24 rebounds to lead Washington to victory. The Huskies controlled the paint and the glass throughout, outrebounding USC 46-37 and outscoring them 54-32 in the paint.

Why it matters

This win keeps Washington's NCAA Tournament hopes alive, as they look to make a late-season push. For USC, the loss is another setback in what has been a disappointing season, as they continue to struggle to put together a complete 40-minute performance.

The details

Washington jumped out to an early lead, but USC fought back to take a 43-40 halftime advantage. However, the Huskies took control in the second half, outscoring the Trojans 39-30 over the final 20 minutes. Steinbach was dominant, while Zoom Diallo added 26 points for Washington. For USC, Ezra Ausar had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Alijah Arenas scored 19 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome Washington's interior dominance.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago.
  • Washington had previously swept the season series, winning 84-76 in Los Angeles and 91-72 in Seattle.

The players

Hannes Steinbach

A freshman big man for the Washington Huskies who dominated the game, recording 22 points and 24 rebounds.

Zoom Diallo

The backcourt running mate for Steinbach, Diallo scored 26 points to provide a strong perimeter complement to Washington's interior dominance.

Ezra Ausar

A USC forward who had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort.

Alijah Arenas

A USC guard who scored 19 points, but couldn't overcome Washington's control of the paint.

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What they’re saying

“We must find a way to string together a full 40 minutes against this Washington team. They are just too strong inside for us to overcome when we have lapses.”

— Eric Musselman, USC Head Coach

What’s next

Washington will face Wisconsin in the next round of the Big Ten Tournament, while USC's season is likely over barring an unexpected run to the conference championship.

The takeaway

Washington's dominant interior play and rebounding advantage proved to be the difference, as they continued their season sweep of USC. The Huskies' ability to control the paint and second-chance opportunities was the key factor in this game, and a blueprint for their success moving forward in the tournament.