Freshmen Fuel Top-Seeded USC Women’s Basketball To 67-61 Win Over Wildcats In NCAA Sweet 16

Saturday, March 29

Spokane, Wash.

5:00 p.m.

USC

31-3,16-1Big Ten

Kansas State

28-8,13-5Big 12

Kansas St.

Southern California

Photo by: Katie Chin

Freshmen Fuel Top-Seeded USC Women’s Basketball To 67-61 Win Over Wildcats In NCAA Sweet 16

March 29, 2025 | Women's Basketball

Box Score POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Trojans are through to the Elite Eight for the second straight season before a combined 45 points from freshmen Heckel, Howell and Smith.

SPOKANE, WASH. — Freshmen Kayleigh Heckel, Avery Howell and Kennedy Smith combined for 45 points in helping to lead the No. 1 seed USC women's basketball team through a hard-fought 67-61 win over No. 5 seed Kansas State in the NCAA Sweet 16 tonight in Spokane, Wash. Playing without injured national player of the year JuJu Watkins, the Trojans stepped up and battled through eight lead changes and nine times to get the win and punch USC's second straight ticket to the NCAA Elite Eight. USC is now 31-3 overall to match its most overall wins in a season since 1986.

USC and Kansas State fought through five ties and five lead changes in the first half, with USC seeing a seven-point lead melt away as the Wildcats heated up from the perimeter. Both teams had hit four 3-pointers apiece by halftime, but the Wildcats got some help with extra trips to the free-throw line. Kansas State was shooting 34.5 percent overall and was 6-of-7 from the free-throw line at halftime, while USC was shooting 29.7 percent from the floor and 2-for-2 from the stripe. The Wildcats were also ahead on the boards, 25-21 by the break. The battle raged on, and things were locked up even three minutes into the fourth. USC edged ahead and fended off the Wildcats down the stretch, finishing out the game shooting 38.5 percent with six 3-pointers landed. Kansas State wrapped up at 41.1 percent overall, but committed 15 turnovers that USC converted into 18 points.

Smith's career-high 19 points led all Trojan scorers on the night, with Howell serving up a career-high 18 points along with matching her career high of eight rebounds and setting a new high with four steals. Rayah Marshall also got to double figures with 10 points while hauling in a team-high nine rebounds and issuing three blocks. Heckel added eight points for USC to help bump that combined freshman scoring total to 45 points on the night. Kansas State received a game-high 22 points from Serena Sundell, while Akoya Lee had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jaelyn Glenn also hit double figures with 10 points for the Wildcats.

"Having confidence was the main thing for me; coming in and playing the game I know how to play."@k3nnedynicole set the tone early for @USCWBB, and spoke with @keelyismyname about the Trojans' Sweet 16 victory ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kw1G1bt23z
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) March 30, 2025

USC's 7-0 opening surge was sparked by a 3-pointer and a take to the hoop by Kennedy Smith before Rayah Marshall stepped to the stripe for two smooth free throws for the Trojan cause. The Wildcats would fire back with a 6-0 rally, only to see Smith continue to strike. She scored six more points for the Trojans to craft a 13-9 lead entering the last minute, where fellow freshman Avery Howell nabbed a steal and then took a feed from Talia von Oelhoffen for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that lifted USC ahead 16-9 after 10 minutes of action. Kansas State kicked off the second with back-to-back threes to get back within one, then pushed into the lead 19-16 riding a 10-0 rally. USC answered with threes from Howell and Malia Samuels to edge back ahead 22-19 at 6:50. The lead traded hands and tied up three times in the next stretch. Kiki Iriafen's jumper took the Trojans ahead 26-24 at 2:30, but Kansas State mounted a 6-0 run to get back in front. USC's Kayleigh Heckel hit a runner before the buzzer, and it was a 30-28 Wildcat lead at halftime.

Rayah Marshall connected on back-to-back jumpers to open the second half and get USC up 32-30 just over a minute into the half. Again, Kansas State edged ahead, but the Trojans regrouped with resolve. Down 39-34 midway through the third, USC had Howell bury a 3-pointer. Tough defense from Smith and some big jumpers from Iriafen helped fuel a 12-0 Trojan rally. Smith's steal and finish at 2:22 had USC holding a 46-39 lead to match its largest advantage since the first frame. Thanks to another freshman finish off a steal, Heckel had USC up 48-41 entering the final minute, where the Wildcats were awarded a set of trips to the line to carve the margin to 48-45 USC entering the fourth. The Wildcats clawed back again and had things even at 51-51 with 7:10 on the clock before Rayah Marshall struck twice down low to net a 55-51 advantage for her Trojans a minute later. It was a one-point game with 3:05 on the clock when Smith sunk three key free throws out of four tosses to get USC up 63-59 at 1:36. Kansas State hit a bucket next, but Howell was sent to the stripe next for USC and buried both with 32 seconds left for a 65-61 lead. In the final ticks, it was another Trojan freshman making her mark as Heckel hit two more tosses from the line to top off the 67-61 USC win for a spot in the Elite Eight.

NEXT:
No. 1 seed USC faces No. 2 seed UConn for the second time this season when the Trojans and Huskies meet in the NCAA Elite Eight at 6 p.m. on Monday (March 31) at Spokane Arena. USC beat UConn 72-70 earlier this season in Hartford, Conn. That clash was a rematch of the teams' 2024 Elite Eight meeting, which the Huskies won 80-73 in Portland, Ore.

NOTABLE:
- This is the first time USC has advanced as one of the final eight teams in the NCAA tournament in consecutive years since the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons.
- With 10 points, SR Rayah Marshall moves to No. 20 in all-time in scoring with 1,235 career points.
- FR Avery Howell started for the second time this season, first time in an NCAA tournament.
- Howell set a career high in steals with four and matched her career high in made 3-pointers with four, rebounds with eight, and points with 18.
- FR Kennedy Smith matched her career high in points with 19.
- Smith recorded at least one steal in the past 11 games, with three steals tonight.
- USC held Kansas State to nine first-quarter points, the sixth quarter in the NCAA Tournament this season that the Trojans held the opposition to nine points or less.
- USC held Kansas State to 61 points. KSU entered the game averaging 79.5 points per game. In USC's first three NCAA Tournament games, it has held its opponents to an average of 48.3 points per game.
- USC's freshmen Kennedy Smith (19), Avery Howell (18) and Kaleigh Heckel (8) combined to score 45 of USC's 67 points tonight (67.2 percent). USC entered tonight's game with its freshman scoring 28 percent of its points according to ESPN, most of the four No. 1 seeds in the tournament.
- USC had 10 steals and forced 16 turnovers tonight and outscored KSU 18-11 on points off turnovers. USC registered 10 or more steals in a game for the 20th time this season.