Friday, February 9
Los Angeles, Calif.
7:00 PM
USC
17-4,7-4Pac-12
81
vs
63
Arizona State
10-13,2-9Pac-12
1
2
3
4
F
Arizona St.
9
19
17
18
63
Southern California
22
16
21
22
81
Team Stats
ASU
USC
FG%
.407
.456
3FG%
.417
.222
FT%
.875
.789
RB
28
42
TO
13
8
STL
1
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
31
FGM
11
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's BasketballC/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Katie Chin
No. 10 USC Women’s Basketball Heats Up For 81-63 Win Over Sun Devils
February 09, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Rayah Marshall tallies a double-double as one of seven Trojans scoring in the Pac-12 win at Galen Center.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — The No. 10 USC women's basketball team pinned up a powerful Pac-12 win with an 81-63 victory over visiting Arizona State tonight at Galen Center. The Trojans' offense was effective, generating 20 assists, with Kayla Padilla and JuJu Watkins combining for 11 of those dimes. USC is now 17-4 overall and 7-4 in Pac-12 play, while the Sun Devils go to 10-13, 2-9.
USC got out of the gates hot, outscoring ASU 22-9 in the first quarter before cooling a bit in the next 10 minutes to finish out the first half at 42.1 percent in gripping a 38-28 lead by halftime. ASU went the opposite way, starting cold and then finding some buckets in the second quarter to wrap the half at 37 percent from the floor. USC was up on the boards 24-18 at halftime, and had seven Trojans on the scoresheet with points by the break. USC picked up the pace again for the second half, finishing out the game shooting 45.6 percent overall and winning the battle of the boards 42-28. ASU finished up shooting 40.7 percent overall.
USC received a game-high 31 points from freshman JuJu Watkins, who scored 25 points in the second half for the Trojans. McKenzie Forbes was next with 18 points, and Rayah Marshall provided a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. ASU was led by Jalyn Brown's 24 points along with 17 from Aryanna Crisp and 12 from Jaddan Simmons.
MeKenzie Forbes kicked USC out to a 5-0 lead, then followed up a Taylor Bigby 3-pointer with her second of the night to pump USC up to a 17-7 lead with 2:30 on the clock. The Trojans would wrap the first frame with another 5-0 surge on a score from Clarice Akunwafo before Bigby converted a three-point play to top off the quarter as a 22-9 USC lead. Rayah Marshall would serve up USC's first seven points of the second quarter to build out a 29-11 lead. The Sun Devils found their scoring touch during that frame, though, as ASU carved into the Trojan advantage to make it a 38-28 margin for halftime.
After ASU opened the third with a three, USC sandwiched 6-0 surges around a single Sun Devil score to build out a 50-33 lead. Watkins and Forbes both worked their ways in double digits in that rally. Watkins topped off her 13-point third quarter with a three-point play to tug the Trojans ahead 59-45 entering the fourth. Watkins' effort at the end of the third sparked a 9-0 USC run to get to its largest lead, up by 20 points at 65-45 with 8:10 on the clock. A 6-0 USC rally later saw Marshall get to her sixth double-double of the season and Watkins nail her first 3-pointer of the night to craft a 72-50 USC advantage with six minutes to go. While Watkins worked her way to another 30-point outing, USC wrapped up a final 81-63 win.
NEXT:
USC now turns to an ESPN2 meeting with Arizona on Monday (Feb. 12) at 6 p.m. at Galen Center.
NOTABLE:
- With 31 points, FR JuJu Watkins recorded her eighth 30-point outing this season — tying for the most such outings by a Trojan since Cherie Nelson had eight as a senior in 1988-89.
- Watkins has now led USC in scoring in 19 of the 20 games she's played.
- With two 3-pointers made today, GS McKenzie Forbes has hit at least one three in the past 19 games.
- With 13 points and 16 rebounds, JR Rayah Marshall recorded her sixth double-double this season and the 26th of her career.
- Marshall has now recorded double-digit rebounds in nine games this season.
- GS Kaitlyn Davis tied her season high with two blocks and was a perfect 4-4 shooting from the floor.
- GS Kayla Padilla tied her season high assists with six.
- USC's 18-point win marks the largest margin of victory against a Pac-12 opponent for the Trojans since 1/13/23 vs. Cal.
- USC's 81 points scored is the most it has scored in Pac-12 play this season.
- This marks the 13th game this season three or more Trojans have scored in double-digits.
- With 20 assists tonight, USC has recorded 20 or more assists in seven games this season.
- USC is 14-1 this season when recorded double-digit assists.
- USC is now 12-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
USC got out of the gates hot, outscoring ASU 22-9 in the first quarter before cooling a bit in the next 10 minutes to finish out the first half at 42.1 percent in gripping a 38-28 lead by halftime. ASU went the opposite way, starting cold and then finding some buckets in the second quarter to wrap the half at 37 percent from the floor. USC was up on the boards 24-18 at halftime, and had seven Trojans on the scoresheet with points by the break. USC picked up the pace again for the second half, finishing out the game shooting 45.6 percent overall and winning the battle of the boards 42-28. ASU finished up shooting 40.7 percent overall.
USC received a game-high 31 points from freshman JuJu Watkins, who scored 25 points in the second half for the Trojans. McKenzie Forbes was next with 18 points, and Rayah Marshall provided a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. ASU was led by Jalyn Brown's 24 points along with 17 from Aryanna Crisp and 12 from Jaddan Simmons.
MeKenzie Forbes kicked USC out to a 5-0 lead, then followed up a Taylor Bigby 3-pointer with her second of the night to pump USC up to a 17-7 lead with 2:30 on the clock. The Trojans would wrap the first frame with another 5-0 surge on a score from Clarice Akunwafo before Bigby converted a three-point play to top off the quarter as a 22-9 USC lead. Rayah Marshall would serve up USC's first seven points of the second quarter to build out a 29-11 lead. The Sun Devils found their scoring touch during that frame, though, as ASU carved into the Trojan advantage to make it a 38-28 margin for halftime.
After ASU opened the third with a three, USC sandwiched 6-0 surges around a single Sun Devil score to build out a 50-33 lead. Watkins and Forbes both worked their ways in double digits in that rally. Watkins topped off her 13-point third quarter with a three-point play to tug the Trojans ahead 59-45 entering the fourth. Watkins' effort at the end of the third sparked a 9-0 USC run to get to its largest lead, up by 20 points at 65-45 with 8:10 on the clock. A 6-0 USC rally later saw Marshall get to her sixth double-double of the season and Watkins nail her first 3-pointer of the night to craft a 72-50 USC advantage with six minutes to go. While Watkins worked her way to another 30-point outing, USC wrapped up a final 81-63 win.
NEXT:
USC now turns to an ESPN2 meeting with Arizona on Monday (Feb. 12) at 6 p.m. at Galen Center.
NOTABLE:
- With 31 points, FR JuJu Watkins recorded her eighth 30-point outing this season — tying for the most such outings by a Trojan since Cherie Nelson had eight as a senior in 1988-89.
- Watkins has now led USC in scoring in 19 of the 20 games she's played.
- With two 3-pointers made today, GS McKenzie Forbes has hit at least one three in the past 19 games.
- With 13 points and 16 rebounds, JR Rayah Marshall recorded her sixth double-double this season and the 26th of her career.
- Marshall has now recorded double-digit rebounds in nine games this season.
- GS Kaitlyn Davis tied her season high with two blocks and was a perfect 4-4 shooting from the floor.
- GS Kayla Padilla tied her season high assists with six.
- USC's 18-point win marks the largest margin of victory against a Pac-12 opponent for the Trojans since 1/13/23 vs. Cal.
- USC's 81 points scored is the most it has scored in Pac-12 play this season.
- This marks the 13th game this season three or more Trojans have scored in double-digits.
- With 20 assists tonight, USC has recorded 20 or more assists in seven games this season.
- USC is 14-1 this season when recorded double-digit assists.
- USC is now 12-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
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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USC WBB Defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16, Advances to Elite Eight | Trojan Press Conference
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