The word began bubbling inside the Lombardi Recreation Center in Reno, Nevada, soon spilling out from all edges of the University of Nevada’s campus, a hub of high school has-beens given a sudden chance to change their lives.

The Eric Musselman era at USC basketball has not yet arrived at its first regular-season game, but the Trojans did take the court against another college basketball team on Saturday night. USC faced No.

After Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi knotted things up at 89-89 when he knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner, Battle had a chance to put the Zags in front roughly a minute later, but his 3 ricocheted off the rim and USC’s Desmond Claude made a jumper on the other end to extend the Trojans’ lead to four points.