USC basketball’s Alijah Arenas game-winner to beat Penn State will make Gilbert proud

With less than a month to go in the regular season, USC basketball is fighting for its NCAA Tournament life every time out. A loss to Penn State, who currently sits near the bottom of the Big Ten, would be catastrophic.

USC nearly fell into that trap on Sunday in Happy Valley before it was bailed out by its star. As the clock was ticking down, standout guard Alijah Arenas spun into the lane and drained a tough shot with less than a second remaining to give the Trojans a 77-75 victory.

ALIJAH ARENAS GAME WINNER pic.twitter.com/P3UVBQPhqx

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 8, 2026

USC is right on the NCAA Tournament bubble and fighting for position in the Big Ten standings, so it can’t afford any bad losses at this point in the year. Sunday wasn’t the best performance for Eric Musselman and company, but Arenas saved them from a potentially catastrophic result.

This story will be updated.

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