Saturday, November 9
Los Angeles, Calif.
2:00 p.m.
USC
2-0,0-0Big Ten
90
vs
35
Cal Poly
1-1,0-0Big West
1
2
3
4
F
Cal Poly
6
11
10
8
35
Southern California
40
17
16
17
90
Team Stats
CPO
USC
FG%
.327
.447
3FG%
.100
.214
FT%
.500
.800
RB
28
44
TO
31
14
STL
5
19
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Katie Chin
No. 3 USC Women’s Basketball Dominates Cal Poly 90-35 In Home Opener
November 09, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Rayah Marshall breaks the 1,000-point barrier in today’s win at Galen Center.
LOS ANGELES — The No. 3 USC women's basketball team emerged from its home opener with a 90-35 win over Cal Poly. Early in the game, senior Rayah Marshall scored her 1,000th career point. The matchup saw six Trojans recording double-digit performances and 10 total scorers, moving the team to 2-0 overall. Cal Poly is now 1-1 overall.
USC mounted a 28-0 scoring run during the first quarter to establish control in the game, and the Trojans held a 57-17 lead at halftime. USC was shooting 46.5 percent from the floor to outpace Cal Poly's 26.9 percent in those first 20 minutes. By the end of the game, USC had shot 44.7 percent overall, with the Mustangs finishing at 32.7. USC outrebounded Cal Poly 44-28
Sophomore JuJu Watkins and freshman Kayleigh Heckel led USC in scoring with 16 points apiece. Marshall was next with 15 points, while sophomore Malia Samuels put up a career-high 12. Grad student Kiki Iriafen (12 points) and freshman Kennedy Smith (10) also scored in double figures for the Trojans. Cal Poly's top scorers were Sydney Bourland with 12 points and Mary Carter with 11 points.
Right off the tip, graduate Talia von Oelhoffen fed the ball to Marshall for a quick bucket. The rest of USC's first quarter was a full-court display of defensive aggressiveness and dominance in the paint, and its lead never wavered. Six Trojans scored in the first quarter, and seven Trojans reached the charity stripe. USC's unanswerable 28-0 run was sparked by Marshall's bucket to reach her 1,000th point. Watkins and Marshall led the initial offensive onslaught with double-digit points, widening the gap from 8-4 to 36-4. USC refused to let Cal Poly breathe in the backcourt, racking up 21 points off of turnovers. USC's first-quarter 40 points marked a program record.
The tempo of the game slowed by the second quarter, but the Mustangs were unable to fill the 40-point deficit. Ten Trojans touched the court, and the combined rebounding power from Iriafen and defensive agility from Heckel led to USC's beating the Mustangs on the boards, 14-10. Heckel's team-high five steals also marks a career-high for the true freshman. In total, the Trojans put up 19 steals, and closed out the half leading 57-17.
Third quarter, the Mustangs scored the first five points on the court to make it 21-59, but the Trojans steadily pushed down the gas pedal, thanks to the team's dynamic ball movement and pushing the ball up the court — USC scored 10 points in transition this quarter. Notably, Heckel recorded a beautiful assist to Iriafen curling off a screen to make it 65-23, and Samuels became the fourth Trojan to convert a three-point play in this game, ending the quarter 73-27.
Samuels hit another three to start the fourth quarter, marking a career-high three triples, followed by Iriafen's muscling her way to the basket, who finished the game with 12 points and seven rebounds. The fourth quarter marked several firsts: Heckel recorded her first-ever shot beyond the arc, and in her first showing wearing cardinal and gold, freshman Rian Forestier hit two consecutive layups for her first career points. The final quarter also saw the Trojans' largest lead just under the one-minute mark. USC emerged from its home debut with a decisive 90-35 victory.
NEXT:
USC's four-game home stretch continues next week with a pair of contests at Galen Center. The Women of Troy have a Tuesday (Nov. 12) test against CSUN at 7 p.m. before turning to a Friday (Nov. 15) meeting with Santa Clara at 12 p.m.
NOTABLE:
- The Trojans had six players score in double figures for the first time since Dec. 14, 2014 against Sacramento State.
- USC's 55-point victory was its largest margin of victory over an opponent since Cal State Northridge on Dec. 7, 1993 (64 points).
- USC's 40 points scored in the first quarter was a program record, and marked the most since scoring 35 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 23, 2024. [Note: women's college basketball games moved from halves to quarters in 2015-16]
- USC's 57 points in the first half is the most points scored in a half since scoring 57 in the first half against Oregon on Feb. 16, 2024.
- Cal Poly's 35 points today marked the fewest USC has allowed in a game since holding Southern Utah to 32 points (71-32) on Dec. 4, 2015.
- With her second bucket of the day, SR Rayah Marshall scored her 1,000th career point
- Marshall is the 29th Trojan to score 1,000 points at USC
- FR Kennedy Smith made her first career 3-pointer today.
- With 16 points this afternoon, freshman Kayleigh Heckel recorded her first double-digit game at USC.
- Heckel recorded a game-high five steals.
- SO Malia Samuels set a career high this afternoon with 12 points and three 3-pointers.
- Three Trojan freshmen made their USC playing debuts today: Vivian Iwuchukwu, Rian Forestier and Brooklyn Shamblin.
- Forestier also scored her first career points as a Trojan with four today.
- SO JuJu Watkins has led USC in blocks in both games with four tonight and a career high of five during the last game against Ole Miss.
USC mounted a 28-0 scoring run during the first quarter to establish control in the game, and the Trojans held a 57-17 lead at halftime. USC was shooting 46.5 percent from the floor to outpace Cal Poly's 26.9 percent in those first 20 minutes. By the end of the game, USC had shot 44.7 percent overall, with the Mustangs finishing at 32.7. USC outrebounded Cal Poly 44-28
Sophomore JuJu Watkins and freshman Kayleigh Heckel led USC in scoring with 16 points apiece. Marshall was next with 15 points, while sophomore Malia Samuels put up a career-high 12. Grad student Kiki Iriafen (12 points) and freshman Kennedy Smith (10) also scored in double figures for the Trojans. Cal Poly's top scorers were Sydney Bourland with 12 points and Mary Carter with 11 points.
Right off the tip, graduate Talia von Oelhoffen fed the ball to Marshall for a quick bucket. The rest of USC's first quarter was a full-court display of defensive aggressiveness and dominance in the paint, and its lead never wavered. Six Trojans scored in the first quarter, and seven Trojans reached the charity stripe. USC's unanswerable 28-0 run was sparked by Marshall's bucket to reach her 1,000th point. Watkins and Marshall led the initial offensive onslaught with double-digit points, widening the gap from 8-4 to 36-4. USC refused to let Cal Poly breathe in the backcourt, racking up 21 points off of turnovers. USC's first-quarter 40 points marked a program record.
The tempo of the game slowed by the second quarter, but the Mustangs were unable to fill the 40-point deficit. Ten Trojans touched the court, and the combined rebounding power from Iriafen and defensive agility from Heckel led to USC's beating the Mustangs on the boards, 14-10. Heckel's team-high five steals also marks a career-high for the true freshman. In total, the Trojans put up 19 steals, and closed out the half leading 57-17.
Third quarter, the Mustangs scored the first five points on the court to make it 21-59, but the Trojans steadily pushed down the gas pedal, thanks to the team's dynamic ball movement and pushing the ball up the court — USC scored 10 points in transition this quarter. Notably, Heckel recorded a beautiful assist to Iriafen curling off a screen to make it 65-23, and Samuels became the fourth Trojan to convert a three-point play in this game, ending the quarter 73-27.
Samuels hit another three to start the fourth quarter, marking a career-high three triples, followed by Iriafen's muscling her way to the basket, who finished the game with 12 points and seven rebounds. The fourth quarter marked several firsts: Heckel recorded her first-ever shot beyond the arc, and in her first showing wearing cardinal and gold, freshman Rian Forestier hit two consecutive layups for her first career points. The final quarter also saw the Trojans' largest lead just under the one-minute mark. USC emerged from its home debut with a decisive 90-35 victory.
NEXT:
USC's four-game home stretch continues next week with a pair of contests at Galen Center. The Women of Troy have a Tuesday (Nov. 12) test against CSUN at 7 p.m. before turning to a Friday (Nov. 15) meeting with Santa Clara at 12 p.m.
NOTABLE:
- The Trojans had six players score in double figures for the first time since Dec. 14, 2014 against Sacramento State.
- USC's 55-point victory was its largest margin of victory over an opponent since Cal State Northridge on Dec. 7, 1993 (64 points).
- USC's 40 points scored in the first quarter was a program record, and marked the most since scoring 35 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 23, 2024. [Note: women's college basketball games moved from halves to quarters in 2015-16]
- USC's 57 points in the first half is the most points scored in a half since scoring 57 in the first half against Oregon on Feb. 16, 2024.
- Cal Poly's 35 points today marked the fewest USC has allowed in a game since holding Southern Utah to 32 points (71-32) on Dec. 4, 2015.
- With her second bucket of the day, SR Rayah Marshall scored her 1,000th career point
- Marshall is the 29th Trojan to score 1,000 points at USC
- FR Kennedy Smith made her first career 3-pointer today.
- With 16 points this afternoon, freshman Kayleigh Heckel recorded her first double-digit game at USC.
- Heckel recorded a game-high five steals.
- SO Malia Samuels set a career high this afternoon with 12 points and three 3-pointers.
- Three Trojan freshmen made their USC playing debuts today: Vivian Iwuchukwu, Rian Forestier and Brooklyn Shamblin.
- Forestier also scored her first career points as a Trojan with four today.
- SO JuJu Watkins has led USC in blocks in both games with four tonight and a career high of five during the last game against Ole Miss.
Women's Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Media Availability 9/18/25
Thursday, September 18
USC WBB's Lindsay Gottlieb, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen | Trojan Press Conference
Monday, March 31
USC WBB heads to the Elite 8, defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16 | Rapid Reaction
Saturday, March 29
Kennedy Smith on USC WBB heading to the Elite Eight, Trojan freshmen getting the job done
Saturday, March 29
