Wednesday, February 19
Los Angeles, Calif.
6:30 p.m.
USC
24-2,14-1Big Ten
83
vs
75
Michigan State
19-7,9-6Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Michigan St.
16
15
18
26
75
Southern California
24
17
27
15
83
Team Stats
MSU
USC
FG%
.406
.433
3FG%
.077
.333
FT%
.783
.743
RB
37
45
TO
21
23
STL
14
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
28
FGM
10
3FGM
2
FTM
6
Pts
24
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
10
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Katie Chin
No. 4 USC Women’s Basketball Maneuvers Out Of Reach Of No. 22 Michigan State 83-75
February 19, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins combine for 52 points in the Trojans’ 24th win of the season.
LOS ANGELES — The No. 4 USC women's basketball team manufactured its seventh win over a ranked opponent in a good battle against No. 22 Michigan State that ended in an 83-75 Trojan victory at Galen Center. JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen combined for 52 points in the win, which improves USC to 24-2 overall and 14-1 in Big Ten play. The Spartans are now 19-7, 9-6.
USC maneuvered into the lead with a 13-2 push during the first frame and held a 10-point lead for halftime with a 41-31 margin over Michigan State. The Trojans had shot 40 percent from the floor and was 14-of-18 from the free-throw line in a foul-interrupted first half. The Spartans were shooting 32.3 percent overall and had gone 10-of-12 from the stripe when halftime hit. Michigan State was ahead on the boards 21-19 to that point. USC upped its action on the boards in the second half to finish out with 45 to MSU's 37. Both teams heated up offensively, with USC finishing out a 43.3 percent to the Spartans' 40.6 percent. USC ended up making and attempting season-high free throws, going 26-of-35 from the line. MSU was 18-of-23 from the stripe on the night.
USC received 28 points from JuJu Watkins and another double-double from Kiki Iriafen on 24 points and 10 rebounds. Kennedy Smith also got to double digits with 13 points scored, while Rayah Marshall hauled in 12 rebounds for the Trojans. Michigan State received a game-high 29 points from Grace VanSlooten along with 16 points and 10 rebounds from Julia Ayrault and 12 points from Theryn Hallock.
Some sharpshooting from Iriafen paired with a baseline three from Smith as USC scooted ahead 48-35 in the first two minutes of the second half. Iriafen got to 20 points on the night in muscling her way to the hoop to make it a 54-41 lead, then delivered a block on the defensive end for the Trojan cause at the midway point of the third. Kayleigh Heckel delivered from the stripe next, and USC was up 58-41 at 4:15, only to see Michigan State answer with a 6-0 rally of its own to make it 58-47 at 2:54. Avery Howell interrupted that run with a speedy 3-pointer out of a Trojan timeout, followed quickly by a steal and finish from Smith. USC kept firing down the stretch in crafting a 68-47 lead before the Spartans again hit the final basket of the frame to make it 68-49 entering the fourth. USC came up empty from the field for the first five minutes of the final quarter, with Rayah Marshall striking to break through for USC and make it a 72-58 scoreline. The Spartans found another rally next, though, and it was a six-point game at 74-68 with 4:00 to go. USC fired back with a powerful score from Smith followed by a fine finish from Watkins to get USC back up 10 at 78-68 with 2:45 remaining. The Spartans made another push in the final minutes, but the Trojans held their ground, getting key steal from Marshall and a finish from Watkins and a strike from Smith to help steer the Trojans to the final 83-75 win over visiting Michigan State.
NEXT:
USC now turns celebrate Senior Day on Sunday (Feb. 23) with a 1 p.m. meeting against Illinois. USC will be honoring its five departing Trojans at that game — Clarice Akunwafo, Dominique Darius, Kiki Iriafen, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen.
NOTABLE:
- With 28 points tonight, SO JuJu Watkins moves into 12th all-time in career scoring at USC — now with 1,552 career points..
- Watkins has scored in double figures in all 26 games this season and in all but one career game (9 vs. Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship game on March 20, 2024).
- With two 3-pointers made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 21 games.
- With 24 points, GS Kiki Iriafen has scored in double digits in 25 of the 26 games she has played this season.
- This was Iriafen's ninth game as a Trojan scoring at least 20 points.
- With 10 rebounds, Iriafen notched her ninth double-double of the season.
- This is the eighth game where Iriafen and Watkins have each recorded 20+ points (Last: Iriafen (23) and Watkins (20) vs. Minnesota on 1/30/25).
- With eight points scored tonight, SR Rayah Marshall moves into 22nd all-time in career scoring at USC — now with 1,179 career points.
- With two blocks, Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 23 games she has played (54 total in that span).
- With a game-high 12 rebounds, Marshall has recorded double-digit rebounds in nine games this season.
- With two steals, FR Kennedy Smith has recorded at least one steal in 16 of 19 games played.
- This is USC's fourth game this season where six players recorded at least one block (Previous: vs. Ohio State on 2/8/25).
- USC scored 83 points tonight, the second-most allowed in a game by the Spartans this season. MSU entered tonight holding opponents to 62.0 points per game.
- USC improved to 21-0 when scoring 70 or more points in a game this season.
- USC shot a season-high 35 free throws (previous most was 34 vs. Saint Louis on Nov. 29, 2024)
- USC's 26 made free throws also was a season high (previous most also vs. SLU with 24)
- USC held Michigan State to 8.3 percent shooting from 3-point range (1-for-12), a season-low for a USC opponent.
- MSU's one 3-pointer made was its season low for a game this season.
- USC is now 7-1 against ranked opponents this season.
USC maneuvered into the lead with a 13-2 push during the first frame and held a 10-point lead for halftime with a 41-31 margin over Michigan State. The Trojans had shot 40 percent from the floor and was 14-of-18 from the free-throw line in a foul-interrupted first half. The Spartans were shooting 32.3 percent overall and had gone 10-of-12 from the stripe when halftime hit. Michigan State was ahead on the boards 21-19 to that point. USC upped its action on the boards in the second half to finish out with 45 to MSU's 37. Both teams heated up offensively, with USC finishing out a 43.3 percent to the Spartans' 40.6 percent. USC ended up making and attempting season-high free throws, going 26-of-35 from the line. MSU was 18-of-23 from the stripe on the night.
USC received 28 points from JuJu Watkins and another double-double from Kiki Iriafen on 24 points and 10 rebounds. Kennedy Smith also got to double digits with 13 points scored, while Rayah Marshall hauled in 12 rebounds for the Trojans. Michigan State received a game-high 29 points from Grace VanSlooten along with 16 points and 10 rebounds from Julia Ayrault and 12 points from Theryn Hallock.
The lead changed hands a few times in the first quarter, with JuJu Watkins landing a 3-pointer that sparked a 6-0 push by the Trojans to lead it 10-6 with 5:20 on the clock. A 7-0 USC surge followed a single Spartan bucket as the Trojans climbed out to a 17-10 advantage thanks in part to four smooth free throws from freshman Kennedy Smith. In a busy final minute, Malia Samuels nabbed a steal and found Rayah Marshall for the score before Michigan State and Watkins traded 3-pointers. The Spartans finished the first with a buzzer-beating bucket, and it was a 24-16 USC lead after 10 minutes of action. Avery Howell knocked down her first 3-pointer of the night to get USC ahead 29-20 at 6:45. USC's lead grew to a 12-point margin thanks to some solid work in the paint from Iriafen as she worked her way into double digits. Again, the Spartans struck last, and it was a 41-31 USC lead for halftime."When @coachbethburns offered me a spot to be an ambassador, I was ecstatic to take it."@KayYowFund Ambassador Rayah Marshall spoke to @keelyismyname about the important cause and more following @USCWBB's win over No. 22 Michigan State ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/nSjP0oWlm3
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) February 20, 2025
Some sharpshooting from Iriafen paired with a baseline three from Smith as USC scooted ahead 48-35 in the first two minutes of the second half. Iriafen got to 20 points on the night in muscling her way to the hoop to make it a 54-41 lead, then delivered a block on the defensive end for the Trojan cause at the midway point of the third. Kayleigh Heckel delivered from the stripe next, and USC was up 58-41 at 4:15, only to see Michigan State answer with a 6-0 rally of its own to make it 58-47 at 2:54. Avery Howell interrupted that run with a speedy 3-pointer out of a Trojan timeout, followed quickly by a steal and finish from Smith. USC kept firing down the stretch in crafting a 68-47 lead before the Spartans again hit the final basket of the frame to make it 68-49 entering the fourth. USC came up empty from the field for the first five minutes of the final quarter, with Rayah Marshall striking to break through for USC and make it a 72-58 scoreline. The Spartans found another rally next, though, and it was a six-point game at 74-68 with 4:00 to go. USC fired back with a powerful score from Smith followed by a fine finish from Watkins to get USC back up 10 at 78-68 with 2:45 remaining. The Spartans made another push in the final minutes, but the Trojans held their ground, getting key steal from Marshall and a finish from Watkins and a strike from Smith to help steer the Trojans to the final 83-75 win over visiting Michigan State.
NEXT:
USC now turns celebrate Senior Day on Sunday (Feb. 23) with a 1 p.m. meeting against Illinois. USC will be honoring its five departing Trojans at that game — Clarice Akunwafo, Dominique Darius, Kiki Iriafen, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen.
NOTABLE:
- With 28 points tonight, SO JuJu Watkins moves into 12th all-time in career scoring at USC — now with 1,552 career points..
- Watkins has scored in double figures in all 26 games this season and in all but one career game (9 vs. Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship game on March 20, 2024).
- With two 3-pointers made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 21 games.
- With 24 points, GS Kiki Iriafen has scored in double digits in 25 of the 26 games she has played this season.
- This was Iriafen's ninth game as a Trojan scoring at least 20 points.
- With 10 rebounds, Iriafen notched her ninth double-double of the season.
- This is the eighth game where Iriafen and Watkins have each recorded 20+ points (Last: Iriafen (23) and Watkins (20) vs. Minnesota on 1/30/25).
- With eight points scored tonight, SR Rayah Marshall moves into 22nd all-time in career scoring at USC — now with 1,179 career points.
- With two blocks, Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 23 games she has played (54 total in that span).
- With a game-high 12 rebounds, Marshall has recorded double-digit rebounds in nine games this season.
- With two steals, FR Kennedy Smith has recorded at least one steal in 16 of 19 games played.
- This is USC's fourth game this season where six players recorded at least one block (Previous: vs. Ohio State on 2/8/25).
- USC scored 83 points tonight, the second-most allowed in a game by the Spartans this season. MSU entered tonight holding opponents to 62.0 points per game.
- USC improved to 21-0 when scoring 70 or more points in a game this season.
- USC shot a season-high 35 free throws (previous most was 34 vs. Saint Louis on Nov. 29, 2024)
- USC's 26 made free throws also was a season high (previous most also vs. SLU with 24)
- USC held Michigan State to 8.3 percent shooting from 3-point range (1-for-12), a season-low for a USC opponent.
- MSU's one 3-pointer made was its season low for a game this season.
- USC is now 7-1 against ranked opponents this season.
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