Los Angeles, California: Ratliff Twins Star in Debut as No. 21 USC Beats Milwaukee 95-63

The Ratliff twins needed one night to announce themselves in Los Angeles. Freshmen Adonis and Darius Ratliff combined for 39 points in their college debuts on Monday night, and No. 21 USC beat Milwaukee 95-63 at the Galen Center in the season opener for both teams.

Adonis Ratliff led all scorers with 25 points. He shot 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and added six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Darius Ratliff scored 14 points, made his only 3-point attempt, and blocked five shots. The twins are the sons of Theo Ratliff, who played 16 seasons in the NBA.

A 15-0 run settles it early

USC never trailed. The Trojans held Milwaukee scoreless for more than seven minutes in the first half and used a 15-0 run to blow the game open, then led by double figures the rest of the way. USC shot 56.9 percent from the field and 12 of 22 from 3-point range. Five Trojans scored in double figures, and the win was the program's third straight season-opening victory under coach Eric Musselman.

Alijah Arenas scored 21 points and took a career-high eight rebounds for USC. Rodney Rice scored 15 points in his first appearance since a shoulder injury last November cut short his 2025-26 season, and he made three 3-pointers. Touted freshman Christian Collins did not play.

Milwaukee shot 23 of 62 from the field, 37 percent, against the larger USC front line. The Panthers stay in California and play at Santa Clara on Wednesday. USC hosts Wichita State on Sunday at the Galen Center.

It was the first meeting between the two programs, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. USC came into the night with its first preseason national ranking under Musselman, and the Ratliff brothers were the center of the plan from the opening tip. Darius Ratliff scored 11 points in the first half and recorded all four of USC's blocks in the half, according to Roundtable's courtside report. Adonis Ratliff's 25 points were the most by a USC freshman in his debut since O.J. Mayo in 2007, SportsGrid reported.

For a Los Angeles crowd that came to see a decorated freshman class, the first look delivered. Two 7-foot twins scored inside and out, blocked shots at one end and ran the floor at the other, and the Trojans opened a season of high expectations with a 32-point win at home.