Friday, November 29
Palm Springs, Calif.
4:00 p.m.
USC
6-1,0-0Big Ten
104
vs
65
Saint Louis
3-5,0-0Atlantic 10
1
2
3
4
F
Saint Louis
15
22
8
20
65
Southern California
24
18
37
25
104
Team Stats
SLU
USC
FG%
.421
.500
3FG%
.304
.476
FT%
.833
.706
RB
28
43
TO
24
14
STL
9
15
Game Leaders
Pts
34
FGM
12
3FGM
3
FTM
7
Pts
30
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
12
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Chris Mora
No. 6 USC Women’s Basketball Sizzles In 104-65 Win Over Saint Louis in Palm Desert
November 29, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins both tally 30-point games for the Trojans to top off the Acrisure Invitational.
PALM DESERT, CALIF. — The No. 6 USC women's basketball team had two Trojans tally 30-point outings in the same game for just the second time in program history with JuJu Watkins' 34 points and 30 from Kiki Iriafen during a 104-65 win over Saint Louis. Nine different Trojans scored in USC's second 100-point effort of the season to help improve to 6-1 overall. USC was competing at the Acrisure Women's Holiday Invitational at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif.
USC saw Saint Louis pick up its scoring pace in the second quarter to get a once-14-point Trojan lead down to one during the first half. USC gripped a 42-37 lead at the break, having shot 40 percent from the floor to trail the Billikens' 48-percent first-half effort. USC was up on the boards 20-17 and had the advantage from the stripe in going 10- of-14 from the free-throw line in the first 20 points to SLU's 5-of-6 outing. The Trojans shifted gears in the second half and got out ahead by almost 50 points during the fourth — up 99-53 with 3:40 to go — before finishing out the win shooting an even 50 percent from the floor. Saint Louis wrapped at 42.1 percent and was well behind on the boards 43-28. USC also shot a season-best 47.6 percent from 3-point range (10-of-21).
Watkins' game-high 34 points marked the sophomore's 15th career 30-plus scoring effort. Iriafen notched her first 30-point outing as a Trojan and added 12 rebounds for her second double-double at USC. She was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line. USC also received 13 points from Talia von Oelhoffen and 11 from Avery Howell. Saint Louis also had four players finish in double digits: Mia Bergstrom (19 points), Brooklyn Gray (14), Kennedy Calhoun (13) and Shun'teria Anumele (10) while Tierra Simon pulled in 11 rebounds for the Billikens.
JuJu Watkins punched up 13 points in the first quarter and Talia von Oelhoffen nailed a 3-point buzzer-beater to net a 24-15 USC lead after 10 minutes of action. The Trojans were clicking out of the gates of the second, sparked by a 3-pointer from Avery Howell and back-to-back buckets from Kiki Iriafen that had USC on top 31-17. USC would hit a scoring slump later, though, coming up empty from the floor while only free throws fell for the Trojans for over six minutes. The Billikens would carve USC's lead down to just a single point at 38-37 with 1:30 on the clock before the Trojans managed the final four points of the half to make it a 42-37 margin at the break.
Eight points in three minutes from von Oelhoffen helped put USC on a path to pad out its lead in the third. Her third 3-pointer of the evening built a 54-39 Trojan lead. That strike came during what would grow to be an 18-0 USC scoring rally in which both Iriafen and Watkins got to 20 points on the night. USC was fully in a groove by then, and Howell topped off the third with a buzzer-beating three to get USC a 79-45 advantage. The freshman started the fourth in similar form, nailing another 3-pointer. USC would set its course on another scoring rally with a 12-0 surge that featured seven points from Watkins. Int the final minute, USC added two more Trojans to the scoring column in Vivian Iwuchukwu and Clarice Akinwafo while crossing the 100-point mark en route to a final 104-65 Trojan victory.
NEXT:
USC has two games on tap next week, starting with a Tuesday (Dec. 3) meeting with California Baptist at 6:30 p.m. at Galen Center. From there, the Trojans hit the road for their first-ever Big Ten Conference contest, albeit against a familiar foe. USC visits Oregon for a 1 p.m. test in Eugene on Saturday (Dec. 7).
NOTABLE:
- With 34 points today, SO JuJu Watkins recorded her 15th career game with 30 or more points scored.
- Watkins has now scored 20 or more points in 33 of her 41 career games.
- With double digits today, Watkins (34 points) and GS Kiki Iriafen (30) have scored in double digits in all seven games for USC this season.
- This was the second time in program history that two Trojans have scored 30 or more points in the same game. The first time was vs. Texas on Nov. 25, 1990 (Tammy Story - 36 points; Lisa Leslie - 30 points)
- Iriafen set her USC career high with 30 points.
- Iriafen was perfect from the line and set a new career high in free throws made with 12. She tied her previous career high with 12 free-throw attempts.
- Iriafen's perfect 12-of-12 effort from the free-throw line also set a new career high.
- With 30 points and 12 rebounds, Iriafen recorded her second double-double as a Trojan.
- With 13 points, GS Talia von Oelhoffen tied her USC career high.
- With six rebounds, von Oelhoffen also tied her USC career high.
- With five rebounds, SR Rayah Marshall now ranks tied at No. 8 all-time at USC in career rebounds (925).
- SR Clarice Akunwafo set a season high in blocks with three.
- FR Vivian Iwuchuckwu set her career high in points with five tonight.
- FR Avery Howell matched her career high in 3-pointers with three made tonight.
- With 11 points tonight, Howell has hit double digits in three games as a Trojan.
- USC's 104 points scored today vs. Saint Louis marks the Trojans' second 100-plus scoring outing of the season (USC scored a program-record 124 vs. CSUN on Nov. 12) .
- USC's 62 points in the second half marks the third time this season scoring over 60 points in a half.
- The Trojans are now 6-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
- USC shot a season-high 47.6 percent from 3-point range.
- This was USC's first-ever meeting with Saint Louis.
USC saw Saint Louis pick up its scoring pace in the second quarter to get a once-14-point Trojan lead down to one during the first half. USC gripped a 42-37 lead at the break, having shot 40 percent from the floor to trail the Billikens' 48-percent first-half effort. USC was up on the boards 20-17 and had the advantage from the stripe in going 10- of-14 from the free-throw line in the first 20 points to SLU's 5-of-6 outing. The Trojans shifted gears in the second half and got out ahead by almost 50 points during the fourth — up 99-53 with 3:40 to go — before finishing out the win shooting an even 50 percent from the floor. Saint Louis wrapped at 42.1 percent and was well behind on the boards 43-28. USC also shot a season-best 47.6 percent from 3-point range (10-of-21).
Watkins' game-high 34 points marked the sophomore's 15th career 30-plus scoring effort. Iriafen notched her first 30-point outing as a Trojan and added 12 rebounds for her second double-double at USC. She was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line. USC also received 13 points from Talia von Oelhoffen and 11 from Avery Howell. Saint Louis also had four players finish in double digits: Mia Bergstrom (19 points), Brooklyn Gray (14), Kennedy Calhoun (13) and Shun'teria Anumele (10) while Tierra Simon pulled in 11 rebounds for the Billikens.
JuJu Watkins punched up 13 points in the first quarter and Talia von Oelhoffen nailed a 3-point buzzer-beater to net a 24-15 USC lead after 10 minutes of action. The Trojans were clicking out of the gates of the second, sparked by a 3-pointer from Avery Howell and back-to-back buckets from Kiki Iriafen that had USC on top 31-17. USC would hit a scoring slump later, though, coming up empty from the floor while only free throws fell for the Trojans for over six minutes. The Billikens would carve USC's lead down to just a single point at 38-37 with 1:30 on the clock before the Trojans managed the final four points of the half to make it a 42-37 margin at the break.
Eight points in three minutes from von Oelhoffen helped put USC on a path to pad out its lead in the third. Her third 3-pointer of the evening built a 54-39 Trojan lead. That strike came during what would grow to be an 18-0 USC scoring rally in which both Iriafen and Watkins got to 20 points on the night. USC was fully in a groove by then, and Howell topped off the third with a buzzer-beating three to get USC a 79-45 advantage. The freshman started the fourth in similar form, nailing another 3-pointer. USC would set its course on another scoring rally with a 12-0 surge that featured seven points from Watkins. Int the final minute, USC added two more Trojans to the scoring column in Vivian Iwuchukwu and Clarice Akinwafo while crossing the 100-point mark en route to a final 104-65 Trojan victory.
NEXT:
USC has two games on tap next week, starting with a Tuesday (Dec. 3) meeting with California Baptist at 6:30 p.m. at Galen Center. From there, the Trojans hit the road for their first-ever Big Ten Conference contest, albeit against a familiar foe. USC visits Oregon for a 1 p.m. test in Eugene on Saturday (Dec. 7).
NOTABLE:
- With 34 points today, SO JuJu Watkins recorded her 15th career game with 30 or more points scored.
- Watkins has now scored 20 or more points in 33 of her 41 career games.
- With double digits today, Watkins (34 points) and GS Kiki Iriafen (30) have scored in double digits in all seven games for USC this season.
- This was the second time in program history that two Trojans have scored 30 or more points in the same game. The first time was vs. Texas on Nov. 25, 1990 (Tammy Story - 36 points; Lisa Leslie - 30 points)
- Iriafen set her USC career high with 30 points.
- Iriafen was perfect from the line and set a new career high in free throws made with 12. She tied her previous career high with 12 free-throw attempts.
- Iriafen's perfect 12-of-12 effort from the free-throw line also set a new career high.
- With 30 points and 12 rebounds, Iriafen recorded her second double-double as a Trojan.
- With 13 points, GS Talia von Oelhoffen tied her USC career high.
- With six rebounds, von Oelhoffen also tied her USC career high.
- With five rebounds, SR Rayah Marshall now ranks tied at No. 8 all-time at USC in career rebounds (925).
- SR Clarice Akunwafo set a season high in blocks with three.
- FR Vivian Iwuchuckwu set her career high in points with five tonight.
- FR Avery Howell matched her career high in 3-pointers with three made tonight.
- With 11 points tonight, Howell has hit double digits in three games as a Trojan.
- USC's 104 points scored today vs. Saint Louis marks the Trojans' second 100-plus scoring outing of the season (USC scored a program-record 124 vs. CSUN on Nov. 12) .
- USC's 62 points in the second half marks the third time this season scoring over 60 points in a half.
- The Trojans are now 6-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
- USC shot a season-high 47.6 percent from 3-point range.
- This was USC's first-ever meeting with Saint Louis.
Women's Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Media Availability 9/18/25
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USC WBB's Lindsay Gottlieb, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen | Trojan Press Conference
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USC WBB heads to the Elite 8, defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16 | Rapid Reaction
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Kennedy Smith on USC WBB heading to the Elite Eight, Trojan freshmen getting the job done
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