Wednesday, February 5
Madison, Wisc.
4:30 p.m.
USC
20-2,10-1Big Ten
86
at
64
Wisconsin
11-12,2-10Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Southern California
17
22
23
24
86
Wisconsin
12
16
19
17
64
Team Stats
USC
Wisc
FG%
.507
.407
3FG%
.313
.750
FT%
.722
.700
RB
31
40
TO
7
24
STL
17
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Katie Chin
No. 7 USC Women’s Basketball Spreads the Wealth In 86-64 Win At Wisconsin
February 05, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Ten Trojans score in USC’s 20th win of the season, which featured 17 steals by the Trojans.
MADISON, WISC. — The No. 7 USC women's basketball team displayed a balanced attack in its first-ever meeting with Wisconsin, getting 10 Trojans on the scoresheet and five in double figures as USC pinned up an 86-64 win over the host Badgers tonight in Madison, Wisc. The road win marked USC's 20th win of the season, now 20-2 overall and 10-1 in Big Ten play, while Wisconsin goes to 11-12, 2-10.
USC utilized a balanced attack in the first half with all nine Trojans who hit the floor getting in the scoring column to help USC build a 39-28 halftime advantage. The Trojans were shooting 44.1 percent from the floor to outpace Wisconsin's 37.9 percent. The Badgers pulled to within three points during the first half, only to see USC work out ahead to that 11-point lead at the break. The Badgers were ahead on the boards 20-19, but USC forced 14 turnovers out of its host while committing just six of its own through 20 minutes of play in Madison. USC continued to get warmer down the stretch, finishing out the game shooting 50.7 percent overall. The Trojans picked up a total of 17 steals and committed a season-low seven turnovers in the win, although Wisconsin won the battle of the boards 40-31 on the night.
All 10 Trojans who checked into the game scored in this one, led by Kiki Iriafen's 15 points along with 14 apiece from JuJu Watkins and Avery Howell, 11 from Talia von Oelhoffen and 10 from Kayleigh Heckel. Heckel and von Oelhoffen combined for nine of USC's 17 steals on the night. Wisconsin was led by Serah Williams' game-high 19 points, while Carter McCray had a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds and Tess Myers added 12 points on a 4-of-4 effort from 3-point range for the Badgers.
USC opened up a 6-0 start on buckets from JuJu Watkins, Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen before Wisconsin broke its silence with a 3-pointer at 5:40. Von Oelfhoffen kept cooking for the Trojan, wrapping a three and a take to the hoop around an assist to Clarice Akunwafo to net a 10-point lead for USC with 3:05 on the clock. Free throws from Avery Howell and a runner from fellow freshman Kayleigh Heckel preserved that margin for USC entering the final minute, where Wisconsin managed the last five points of the quarter to make it a 17-12 USC lead after 10 minutes of action. USC kicked off the second with another 6-0 surge, although that 23-12 advantage melted back down quickly with back-to-back Badger threes and then added a long two to get within three points at 23-20 with 4:30 on the clock. Marshall broke that up with a bucket in the paint to right the ship for USC at 3:45. USC would outscore the Badgers 10-2 in a span of a minute and a half to go out ahead 35-24 entering the final minute of the half. Kennedy Smith dumped in a 3-pointer with 45 seconds to go, and a busy final few seconds of the half saw USC grip a 39-28 halftime lead.
The third unfurled with teams largely in stride. A fine finish from Iriafen had USC up 47-33 at 6:10 before the Badgers chewed into the lead with a bucket and a three. Avery Howell interrupted that with a smooth take to the hoop to make it 49-38 Trojans before the media timeout. The freshman force kept firing for USC as Smith muscled her way to a score and Heckel picked off a pass and finished to take the Trojans ahead 53-39 at the three-minute mark. Howell would produce seven more points for USC in the last 2:30 of the quarter, topping off the frame with a finished that had USC on top 62-47 entering the fourth. USC kept making strides in the final stretch, although the foul count was tipping against the Trojans. Scores from Iriafen and Smith wrapped around two free-throw tosses from Wisconsin, and USC was out to a 75-54 lead with 6:00 to go. After Wisconsin landed its sixth 3-pointer of the night, USC made a 14-2 scoring run that featured the 10th Trojan to score with Vivian Iwuchukwu's bucket in the final minute, and USC was on its way to the final 86-64 win over the Badgers.
NEXT:
USC returns to the West Coast for the duration of regular-season Big Ten action, with a top-10 matchup on tap next for Galen Center this Saturday (Feb. 8) when the No. 7 Trojans host No. 8 Ohio State at 6 p.m.
NOTABLE:
- USC shot 50.7 percent from the floor — the fifth time this season the Trojans have shot at least 50 percent overall.
- USC's seven turnovers tied its season low.
- With a team-high 15 points tonight, GS Kiki Iriafen has scored in double digits in 21 of the 22 games she has played this season.
- With five points tonight, SR Clarice Akunwafo set her season high.
- FR Avery Howell recorded her seventh double-digit scoring effort this season with 14 points tonight.
- With three steals tonight, Akunwafo set her career high.
- With five assists, FR Kayleigh Heckel set her career high.
- WIth two blocks tonight, SR Rayah Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 19 games she has played (45 total in that span).
- With one block tonight, SO JuJu Watkins has registered at least one block in 11 of the last 12 games.
- With 14 points, Watkins has scored in double figures in all 22 games this season.
- With one 3-pointer made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 17 games.
- With two steals tonight, FR Kennedy Smith has recorded at least one steal in 13 of 15 games played. (11 games with more than one steal)
- All 10 Trojans who checked in for the game tonight scored.
- This is the fifth time this season that five or more Trojans have scored in double digits.
- This was USC's first-ever meeting with Wisconsin in program history.
- Now 20-2 overall, USC has recorded three consecutive 20-win seasons (in four seasons under head coach Lindsay Gottlieb) and 21st in program history dating back to 1976-77.
- USC's 20-2 start to the season is its best since the 1982-83 season.
- USC is now 18-0 when scoring 70 or more points and 17-0 when holding an opponent to under 70 points.
- Nine different Trojans recorded a steal, the second-most in a game this season.
USC utilized a balanced attack in the first half with all nine Trojans who hit the floor getting in the scoring column to help USC build a 39-28 halftime advantage. The Trojans were shooting 44.1 percent from the floor to outpace Wisconsin's 37.9 percent. The Badgers pulled to within three points during the first half, only to see USC work out ahead to that 11-point lead at the break. The Badgers were ahead on the boards 20-19, but USC forced 14 turnovers out of its host while committing just six of its own through 20 minutes of play in Madison. USC continued to get warmer down the stretch, finishing out the game shooting 50.7 percent overall. The Trojans picked up a total of 17 steals and committed a season-low seven turnovers in the win, although Wisconsin won the battle of the boards 40-31 on the night.
All 10 Trojans who checked into the game scored in this one, led by Kiki Iriafen's 15 points along with 14 apiece from JuJu Watkins and Avery Howell, 11 from Talia von Oelhoffen and 10 from Kayleigh Heckel. Heckel and von Oelhoffen combined for nine of USC's 17 steals on the night. Wisconsin was led by Serah Williams' game-high 19 points, while Carter McCray had a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds and Tess Myers added 12 points on a 4-of-4 effort from 3-point range for the Badgers.
USC opened up a 6-0 start on buckets from JuJu Watkins, Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen before Wisconsin broke its silence with a 3-pointer at 5:40. Von Oelfhoffen kept cooking for the Trojan, wrapping a three and a take to the hoop around an assist to Clarice Akunwafo to net a 10-point lead for USC with 3:05 on the clock. Free throws from Avery Howell and a runner from fellow freshman Kayleigh Heckel preserved that margin for USC entering the final minute, where Wisconsin managed the last five points of the quarter to make it a 17-12 USC lead after 10 minutes of action. USC kicked off the second with another 6-0 surge, although that 23-12 advantage melted back down quickly with back-to-back Badger threes and then added a long two to get within three points at 23-20 with 4:30 on the clock. Marshall broke that up with a bucket in the paint to right the ship for USC at 3:45. USC would outscore the Badgers 10-2 in a span of a minute and a half to go out ahead 35-24 entering the final minute of the half. Kennedy Smith dumped in a 3-pointer with 45 seconds to go, and a busy final few seconds of the half saw USC grip a 39-28 halftime lead.
The third unfurled with teams largely in stride. A fine finish from Iriafen had USC up 47-33 at 6:10 before the Badgers chewed into the lead with a bucket and a three. Avery Howell interrupted that with a smooth take to the hoop to make it 49-38 Trojans before the media timeout. The freshman force kept firing for USC as Smith muscled her way to a score and Heckel picked off a pass and finished to take the Trojans ahead 53-39 at the three-minute mark. Howell would produce seven more points for USC in the last 2:30 of the quarter, topping off the frame with a finished that had USC on top 62-47 entering the fourth. USC kept making strides in the final stretch, although the foul count was tipping against the Trojans. Scores from Iriafen and Smith wrapped around two free-throw tosses from Wisconsin, and USC was out to a 75-54 lead with 6:00 to go. After Wisconsin landed its sixth 3-pointer of the night, USC made a 14-2 scoring run that featured the 10th Trojan to score with Vivian Iwuchukwu's bucket in the final minute, and USC was on its way to the final 86-64 win over the Badgers.
NEXT:
USC returns to the West Coast for the duration of regular-season Big Ten action, with a top-10 matchup on tap next for Galen Center this Saturday (Feb. 8) when the No. 7 Trojans host No. 8 Ohio State at 6 p.m.
NOTABLE:
- USC shot 50.7 percent from the floor — the fifth time this season the Trojans have shot at least 50 percent overall.
- USC's seven turnovers tied its season low.
- With a team-high 15 points tonight, GS Kiki Iriafen has scored in double digits in 21 of the 22 games she has played this season.
- With five points tonight, SR Clarice Akunwafo set her season high.
- FR Avery Howell recorded her seventh double-digit scoring effort this season with 14 points tonight.
- With three steals tonight, Akunwafo set her career high.
- With five assists, FR Kayleigh Heckel set her career high.
- WIth two blocks tonight, SR Rayah Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 19 games she has played (45 total in that span).
- With one block tonight, SO JuJu Watkins has registered at least one block in 11 of the last 12 games.
- With 14 points, Watkins has scored in double figures in all 22 games this season.
- With one 3-pointer made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 17 games.
- With two steals tonight, FR Kennedy Smith has recorded at least one steal in 13 of 15 games played. (11 games with more than one steal)
- All 10 Trojans who checked in for the game tonight scored.
- This is the fifth time this season that five or more Trojans have scored in double digits.
- This was USC's first-ever meeting with Wisconsin in program history.
- Now 20-2 overall, USC has recorded three consecutive 20-win seasons (in four seasons under head coach Lindsay Gottlieb) and 21st in program history dating back to 1976-77.
- USC's 20-2 start to the season is its best since the 1982-83 season.
- USC is now 18-0 when scoring 70 or more points and 17-0 when holding an opponent to under 70 points.
- Nine different Trojans recorded a steal, the second-most in a game this season.
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