Hot-shooting USC extends Penn State’s losing streak

Desmond Claude scored 16 points and dished eights assists in his return from a knee injury as Southern California sent Penn State to its sixth consecutive loss in a 92-67 rout on Tuesday in Los Angeles.The Trojans (14-10, 6-7 Big Ten) returned home from an 0-2 road trip to Northwestern and Purdue last week to welcome Claude into the lineup for the first time since a Feb. 1 win over then-No. 7 Michigan State.Claude made his first five field-goal attempts and USC wound up 33-for-49 (67.3 percent) from the floor in its highest-scoring effort since a 99-89 win over Iowa on Jan. 14.Claude was one of four Trojans to put up at least 12 points. Chibuzo Agbo led all scorers with 21 points. Wesley Yates III finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.With 12 points, Josh Cohen recorded his first double-digit-point performance since going for 17 points vs. Southern on Dec. 22. Tuesday was also Cohen’s first time scoring in double figures against a Big Ten opponent.Cohen also grabbed five rebounds to match Yates and Penn State’s D’Marco Dunn for the game-high.The Nittany Lions (13-12, 3-11) completed an 0-2 swing through California, dropping their inaugural Big Ten matchups with conference newcomers USC and UCLA by a combined 49 points.The Nittany Lions trailed almost wire to wire, holding a two-point in the game’s first minutes before USC took over. Penn State endured a field-goal drought of nearly nine minutes in the first half, which overlapped with a 16-1 Trojans run.