Saturday, February 25
Los Angeles, Calif.
12:00 PM
USC
21-8,11-7Pac-12
68
vs
65
Washington State
19-10,9-9Pac-12
1
2
3
4
OT 1
OT 2
F
Washington St.
12
20
12
9
7
5
65
Southern California
11
5
16
21
7
8
68
Team Stats
WSU
USC
FG%
.439
.296
3FG%
.360
.182
FT%
.545
.880
RB
33
45
TO
23
16
STL
9
12
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
11
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: John McGillen
USC Women’s Basketball Battles Back To Beat WSU 68-65 In Double Overtime
February 25, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Trojans make their biggest comeback win of the season on Senior Day at Galen Center.
LOS ANGELES — The USC women's basketball team won a wild one to wrap the regular season, clawing back from a 19-point deficit and forcing two overtimes against visiting Washington State before the Trojans netted its first lead and then claimed the 68-65 comeback today at Galen Center. USC shrugged off a meager offensive effort and exploded with 21 points in the fourth quarter while holding the Cougars to just nine in that frame to build some long-awaited momentum on Senior Day. USC now grips a 21-8 overall record with an 11-7 finish to Pac-12 play that has the Trojans as the No. 6 seed into the upcoming Pac-12 Tournament. WSU finishes as the No. 7 seed with a 9-9 Pac-12 record and at 19-10 overall.
An 11-0 run by Washington State exemplified the trends of the first half, as the Cougars were hot and the Trojans were cold on the offensive ends. WSU was shooting 56.5 percent from the floor in the first half, including a 6-of-12 effort from 3-point range to help build out a 32-16 lead at the break. USC was struggling to find buckets, shooting 17.6 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes, while the teams were even on the boards 18-18 to that point. USC was down by 12 points entering the fourth, which is where the Trojan turnaround took place. USC shot 60 percent from the floor in the fourth while WSU went 3-of-11 as the Trojans pushed back to force overtime. By the time the buzzer sounded on USC's double-OT win, the Trojans had shot 29.6 percent overall to WSU's 43.9 percent. USC led on the boards 45-33 in the end, and went 22-of-25 from the free-throw line while the Cougars were 6-of-11 from the stripe.
USC was led by Kadi Sissoko's fourth double-double as a Trojan on a game-high 18 points and 13 rebounds. Destiny Littleton contributed 14 points, joined by Rokia Doumbia's 13 points and 11 from Taylor Bigby. WSU received 17 points apiece from Bella Murekatete and Charlisse Leger-Walker, who also pulled in 10 rebounds. WSU's Johanna Teder added 14 points with four 3-pointers made for the Cougars.
WSU found a couple more key threes to craft a 41-22 lead midway through the third before Rokia Doumbia delivered a three for the Trojans to help the hosts get a boost. By the close of the third, USC had the deficit at 12. The fourth frame unfurled with the Trojans making moves. Doumbia struck first, Taylor Bigby broke through next, and then Littleton drained a three to get the hosts in reach, down 44-39 with 7:45 on the clock. Doumbia dumped in four free throws around a steal to get USC within three, and a few minutes later the Trojans had it locked up at 48-48 with 2:05 remaining thanks to buckets from Littleton and Sissoko. Entering the final minute, WSU gripped a 52-49 lead. A take to the hoop from Bigby had USC within two at 53-51 with 36 ticks to go. Soon after she'd level it from the free-throw when Sissoko forced a WSU turnover. Bigby picked it up and was fouled, prompting her trip to the line to snarl things up 53-53 with 15 seconds on the clock. WSU would get a good look, but missed it to bring up overtime at Galen Center.
USC had to play catchup in OT, but was up to the challenge again. When WSU went up 60-57 with 1:40 to go, Bigby found Adika for a 3-pointer that equalized things again, locked at 60-60 with 1:08 on the clock. Neither team could break through in the next stretch, and a second overtime was next on the agenda. USC's first lead of the game came care of Adika, who knocked down two free throws for a 62-60 USC lead at 3:02. A strike from Sissoko had USC up 64-62 at 2:10, but WSU got back on top with a 3-pointer at 1:40, up 65-64. Sissoko struck back, tugging the Trojans ahead 66-65 at 1:10. The USC defense dug in from there, and Doumbia hauled in a defensive board and found a streaking Sissoko for the finish and a 68-65 USC advantage with five seconds left. WSU's look at the equalizer failed, and the Trojans emerged victorious.
NEXT:
USC has secured the No. 6 seed into the upcoming 2023 Pac-12 Tournament, which runs March 1-5 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. USC will face Oregon State in the first round at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday (March 1).
NOTABLE:
- Now at 21-8 overall, USC has its best record through 29 games since 1993-94 (26-3), and has won its most games in a season since 2013-14 (22-13)
- USC outrebounded its opponent for the 15th time this season
- The Trojans trailed by 19 with 4:29 remaining in the third quarter, outscoring the Cougars 46-24 the remainder of the game.
- 19 points is the largest deficit USC has come back from to win this season.
- With three blocks, SO Rayah Marshall has recorded at least one block in 49 consecutive games played, her seventh consecutive game with three blocks or more.
- During Marshall's seven straight games with three blocks or more, she's averaged 4.57 blocks per contest.
- Now with 89 blocks this season, sophomore Marshall has broken Cheryl Miller's USC sophomore record of 82 (1984).
- Marshall's 89 blocks is the third most by a Trojan in a single season.
- USC's 16 points in the first half were the fewest it has scored in a half this season.
- With 18 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, GS Kadi Sissoko earned her fourth double-double of the season.
- Sissoko's 18 points mark the 19th time she's scored in double digits.
- Over the last three games Sissoko is averaging 22.3 points per game.
- With 14 points, GS Destiny Littleton scored in double digits for a team-leading 24th time this season and 11th consecutive game.
- During Littleton's 11 consecutive games in double digits, she has averaged 17.3 points per contest.
- WIth 13 points, GS Rokia Doumbia scored in double digits for the second time this season.
- With 11 points, FR Taylor Bigby scored in double digits for the third time this season.
- Making all seven of her free-throw attempts, Bigby set new career highs in both makes and attempts.
- USC forced the Cougars into 23 turnovers, the 28th time this season the Trojans have forced an opponent into double-digit turnovers; only opponent with less than 10 was UCLA with eight on Dec. 15, 2022.
- Washington State's 23 turnovers mark the 11th time USC has forced an opponent into 20 turnovers or more.
- USC's 12 steals mark the 12th time this season with 10 or more steals.
- Washington State's nine points in the fourth quarter marks the 23rd time this season that USC has allowed fewer than 10 points in a quarter; USC has held their opponents to less than 10 points in 20% of quarters played this season.
- USC improves to 3-2 in overtime wins this season
An 11-0 run by Washington State exemplified the trends of the first half, as the Cougars were hot and the Trojans were cold on the offensive ends. WSU was shooting 56.5 percent from the floor in the first half, including a 6-of-12 effort from 3-point range to help build out a 32-16 lead at the break. USC was struggling to find buckets, shooting 17.6 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes, while the teams were even on the boards 18-18 to that point. USC was down by 12 points entering the fourth, which is where the Trojan turnaround took place. USC shot 60 percent from the floor in the fourth while WSU went 3-of-11 as the Trojans pushed back to force overtime. By the time the buzzer sounded on USC's double-OT win, the Trojans had shot 29.6 percent overall to WSU's 43.9 percent. USC led on the boards 45-33 in the end, and went 22-of-25 from the free-throw line while the Cougars were 6-of-11 from the stripe.
USC was led by Kadi Sissoko's fourth double-double as a Trojan on a game-high 18 points and 13 rebounds. Destiny Littleton contributed 14 points, joined by Rokia Doumbia's 13 points and 11 from Taylor Bigby. WSU received 17 points apiece from Bella Murekatete and Charlisse Leger-Walker, who also pulled in 10 rebounds. WSU's Johanna Teder added 14 points with four 3-pointers made for the Cougars.
It took a few minutes, but USC would find its scoring touch midway through the first frame to help pull out of a 7-2 hole. A 3-pointer from Destiny Littleton gave the Trojans some life, and USC would score the last six points of the quarter to trail WSU 12-11 after 10 minutes of action. In the second, USC again struggled to find a bucket, while the Cougars made a 7-0 surge to lead it 21-12. Rayah Marshall broke through with a jumper at 5:15, only to see WSU strike off on an 11-0 run that included a trio of 3-pointers to lead it 32-14 at 1:19. WIth 30 seconds to go, Rokia Doumbia broke USC's silence with a putback, and it was a 32-16 margin at halftime.
WSU found a couple more key threes to craft a 41-22 lead midway through the third before Rokia Doumbia delivered a three for the Trojans to help the hosts get a boost. By the close of the third, USC had the deficit at 12. The fourth frame unfurled with the Trojans making moves. Doumbia struck first, Taylor Bigby broke through next, and then Littleton drained a three to get the hosts in reach, down 44-39 with 7:45 on the clock. Doumbia dumped in four free throws around a steal to get USC within three, and a few minutes later the Trojans had it locked up at 48-48 with 2:05 remaining thanks to buckets from Littleton and Sissoko. Entering the final minute, WSU gripped a 52-49 lead. A take to the hoop from Bigby had USC within two at 53-51 with 36 ticks to go. Soon after she'd level it from the free-throw when Sissoko forced a WSU turnover. Bigby picked it up and was fouled, prompting her trip to the line to snarl things up 53-53 with 15 seconds on the clock. WSU would get a good look, but missed it to bring up overtime at Galen Center.
USC had to play catchup in OT, but was up to the challenge again. When WSU went up 60-57 with 1:40 to go, Bigby found Adika for a 3-pointer that equalized things again, locked at 60-60 with 1:08 on the clock. Neither team could break through in the next stretch, and a second overtime was next on the agenda. USC's first lead of the game came care of Adika, who knocked down two free throws for a 62-60 USC lead at 3:02. A strike from Sissoko had USC up 64-62 at 2:10, but WSU got back on top with a 3-pointer at 1:40, up 65-64. Sissoko struck back, tugging the Trojans ahead 66-65 at 1:10. The USC defense dug in from there, and Doumbia hauled in a defensive board and found a streaking Sissoko for the finish and a 68-65 USC advantage with five seconds left. WSU's look at the equalizer failed, and the Trojans emerged victorious.
NEXT:
USC has secured the No. 6 seed into the upcoming 2023 Pac-12 Tournament, which runs March 1-5 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. USC will face Oregon State in the first round at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday (March 1).
NOTABLE:
- Now at 21-8 overall, USC has its best record through 29 games since 1993-94 (26-3), and has won its most games in a season since 2013-14 (22-13)
- USC outrebounded its opponent for the 15th time this season
- The Trojans trailed by 19 with 4:29 remaining in the third quarter, outscoring the Cougars 46-24 the remainder of the game.
- 19 points is the largest deficit USC has come back from to win this season.
- With three blocks, SO Rayah Marshall has recorded at least one block in 49 consecutive games played, her seventh consecutive game with three blocks or more.
- During Marshall's seven straight games with three blocks or more, she's averaged 4.57 blocks per contest.
- Now with 89 blocks this season, sophomore Marshall has broken Cheryl Miller's USC sophomore record of 82 (1984).
- Marshall's 89 blocks is the third most by a Trojan in a single season.
- USC's 16 points in the first half were the fewest it has scored in a half this season.
- With 18 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, GS Kadi Sissoko earned her fourth double-double of the season.
- Sissoko's 18 points mark the 19th time she's scored in double digits.
- Over the last three games Sissoko is averaging 22.3 points per game.
- With 14 points, GS Destiny Littleton scored in double digits for a team-leading 24th time this season and 11th consecutive game.
- During Littleton's 11 consecutive games in double digits, she has averaged 17.3 points per contest.
- WIth 13 points, GS Rokia Doumbia scored in double digits for the second time this season.
- With 11 points, FR Taylor Bigby scored in double digits for the third time this season.
- Making all seven of her free-throw attempts, Bigby set new career highs in both makes and attempts.
- USC forced the Cougars into 23 turnovers, the 28th time this season the Trojans have forced an opponent into double-digit turnovers; only opponent with less than 10 was UCLA with eight on Dec. 15, 2022.
- Washington State's 23 turnovers mark the 11th time USC has forced an opponent into 20 turnovers or more.
- USC's 12 steals mark the 12th time this season with 10 or more steals.
- Washington State's nine points in the fourth quarter marks the 23rd time this season that USC has allowed fewer than 10 points in a quarter; USC has held their opponents to less than 10 points in 20% of quarters played this season.
- USC improves to 3-2 in overtime wins this season
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