HONOLULU, HAWAI'I — The USC women's basketball team stared down its first halftime deficit of the season and staged an all-out rally in the third quarter to overpower Purdue on the way to a final 58-46 victory in the opener at the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu. Sadie Edwards scored eight points all of her own to open the second half, and the Trojans had the boost they needed to shine through to a key early nonconference win. USC improves to 5-0 overall with the victory, while Purdue goes to 3-2. 

USC shot 31.3 percent from the floor in the first half to outpace Purdue's 29.6 percent, but the Boilermakers landed four 3-pointers before halftime to hold a slim 25-24 lead on the Trojans at the break. That's when Sadie Edwards' hot hand gave the Trojans the lift their needed. She'd carry USC along on a 10-1 run all by herself to get USC into the lead for good. With 17 second-half points, Edwards ended up leading all scorers with 21 points. Kristen Simon had her double-digit game in the books by halftime, finishing up with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Minyon Moore added 13 points to the Trojan cause.

USC wound up shooting 38.1 percent from the floor in this one after hitting at a 45.2 percent clip in the second half, while Purdue remained at 28.9 percent in the game, hitting just one more 3-pointer to finish with five on the day. USC dropped four threes, and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to Purdue's 13-of-17 effort from the stripe. USC also edged out the Boilermakers on the boards, 36-34 and forced 20 Purdue turnovers. Purdue was led in scoring by Andreona Keys with 12 points.

Kristen Simon secured her fifth straight double-digit outing by halftime as all three USC captains scored in the second quarter to keep the Trojans in stride with the Boilermakers. USC had constructed an early 7-0 run to lead things 7-2, then later gripped a 13-8 advantage with 3:25 on the clock in the first. But Purdue countered with a 7-0 run of its own, and the Boilermakers took a 15-13 lead after 10 minutes of play. The Trojans would again piece together a push back into the lead during the second quarter. Sadie Edwards dropped a jumper and Jordan Adams nailed a 3-pointers to lock the game up at 22-22 before Edwards struck again to nudge USC ahead 24-22. Purdue would land a three next, however, and that would hold the score as a 25-24 Purdue lead at halftime. 

In the third, USC took control. Sadie Edwards scored the Trojans' first 10 points of the second half, throwing the Boilermakers off-kilter as USC pressed onward. The Trojans put Purdue behind by double digits as Edwards delivered a jumper and then nailed a three, lifting USC ahead 41-30 with 2:50 on the clock in the third. That advantage would stand at 10 points by the close of the third. Aliyah Mazyck would drain her first three of the day to kick off the fourth, and later Minyon Moore would rustle up six straight points for the Trojan cause to help keep the Boilermakers at bay the rest of the way. Purdue would manage only free throws in the final five minutes of action as USC closed out the 58-46 victory.

The Women of Troy now turn to another game in paradise tomorrow (Nov. 25), taking on Marist in a 5 p.m. PT game at the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu. USC will face host Hawai'i on Sunday (Nov. 26) at 7 p.m. PT in the final game of the event.