LOS ANGELES — Desmond Claude led USC with an impressive performance, scoring 25 points, while Saint Thomas contributed significantly with 24 points as USC triumphed over Iowa with a final score of 99-89 on Tuesday evening.

Claude was particularly effective from the free-throw line, converting 10 out of 12 attempts. Thomas displayed excellent shooting accuracy, going 9-for-10 overall, including 3-for-4 from three-point territory, and also sinking 3 out of 4 free throws. Wesley Yates III added 21 points, while Chibuzo Agbo chipped in with 18 points. USC’s overall shooting was remarkable, hitting 64.9% (37 of 57), including a sizzling 66.7% (10 of 15) from beyond the arc.

For the Hawkeyes, Owen Freeman was the standout, scoring 23 points on an efficient 11-for-14 shooting. Payton Sandfort contributed 20 points, with Drew Thelwell and Josh Dix adding 16 and 13 points respectively. Despite their efforts, Iowa’s two-game winning streak came to an end as they couldn’t overcome USC’s strong performance.

USC (11-6, 3-3 Big Ten) maintained control throughout the game, never falling behind. The Trojans finished the first half strong, going on a 10-5 run in the final 2.5 minutes to take a solid 48-32 lead. The Hawkeyes fought back, with Thelwell’s layup at 6:07 left in the game cutting USC’s lead to 81-74. He added a pair of free throws, another layup, and two additional free throws to close the gap to 85-80, but Iowa couldn’t narrow it further.

Iowa will remain in Los Angeles for their next matchup against UCLA on Friday night, while the Trojans are set to host 24th-ranked Wisconsin on Saturday.