LOS ANGELES — USC started Wednesday’s Big Ten game looking like a team that had recently come off a long cross-country flight after enduring a third consecutive loss. The Trojans came out lethargic against Ohio State and struggled to find the basket.

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, started out like a team that had enjoyed the unusually warm winter temperatures in Southern California after playing UCLA on Sunday. They were rested, jumped out to a quick lead but found themselves scrambling in the final minutes.

The Trojans dug deep, tied the game with a little more than a minute to play but ended up losing 87-82 at the Galen Center.

After the Trojans’ loss at Rutgers on Sunday, coach Eric Musselman took issue with the travel in the Big Ten that has teams crossing three time zones several times in the season. He worried about the toll the trip would take on the Trojans.

Musselman said his team needed to “be resilient. We have to get our minds and our bodies right to get ready for an Ohio State game.”

USC (14-14 overall, 6-11Big Ten play) displayed little resistance early on but got going in the second half and overcame a nine-point deficit to send the outcome to the final minutes.

With the Trojans down 76-69, Rashaun Agee scored on a layup and freshman Wesley Yates III followed with another bucket to trim Ohio State’s lead to three, 76-73, with 4:51 left to play. Desmond Claude pulled USC to within one, 76-75, on a driving up through traffic.

The Buckeyes, however, got two quick baskets for an 80-75 lead. The Trojans came back and tied the game on a hook shot by Agee with 1:07 remaining. But USC couldn’t sustain the run, seeing its shot at ending a losing streak bounce off the rim with six seconds left.

Yates’ 3-pointer hit the front of the basket, and the Buckeyes walked off the court with the close victory.

Yates III led the Trojans with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting and Chibuzo Anbo finished with 17 points, making 4 of 6 3-pointers.

The Trojans couldn’t stop the Buckeyes from the outside, where they made 11of 20 3-pointers. Ohio State made 8 of 9 long-range shots in the first half and shot 73.1% overall in the first half.

Ohio State continued its dominance in the second half and finished shooting 54% from the field and 55% from beyond the 3-point range, while neutralizing the Trojans. Ohio State is known for its slow pace and used that to keep the Trojans from gaining any real traction until midway through the second half.

Yates cut the lead to six () with a driving layup at the 11:48 mark. USC further trimmed the lead, to 67-62, on Agee’s second of two free throws.

Ohio State buried its 11th 3-pointer, a step back shot by Micah Parrish for a 72-65 lead with 8:16 left in the game.