USC struggles in Alijah Arenas’ debut, falls to Northwestern

LOS ANGELES — Alijah Arenas’ reach saved the ball from going out of bounds. His feet put his body in a spin move that cut through defenders and got him in layup range. Chad Baker-Mazara rewarded his teammate with a chest bump and a playful shove. The basket had the entire USC men’s basketball team smiling and feeling the boost of optimism that Arenas brought in his college debut. The feeling waned by halftime, however, and USC went into the break trailing by three points. Arenas – a McDonald’s All-American and the son of three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas – was not a magic elixir, and the Trojans struggled to find another solution in a 74-68 loss to Northwestern. The Wildcats were...