Sunday, February 19
Berkeley, Calif.
1:00 PM
USC
19-8,9-7Pac-12
78
at
81
California
13-14,4-12Pac-12
1
2
3
4
OT 1
F
Southern California
24
12
25
12
5
78
California
24
12
25
12
8
81
Team Stats
USC
Cal
FG%
.397
.403
3FG%
.438
.444
FT%
.808
.792
RB
42
42
TO
16
14
STL
4
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
30
FGM
11
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballNo. 25 USC Women’s Basketball Edged Out In OT 81-78 By Cal
February 19, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Kadi Sissoko breaks the 1,000-point barrier, but the Trojans fall on the road in a wild battle in Berkeley.
LOS ANGELES — It was an all-out battle in Berkeley today as the No. 25 USC women's basketball team was edged out in overtime 81-78 by host California after 18 lead changes and 23 ties. USC's Kadi Sissoko broke the 1,000-point career scoring mark along the way with her 30-point outing, but the Bears were able to emerge with the Pac-12 win in spite of Sissoko's scoring strength today. USC goes to 19-8 overall and to 9-7 in Pac-12 play with the loss, while Cal is now 13-14, 4-12.
USC and Cal were largely in lockstep throughout the first half, trading the lead 12 times and winding up snarled at 36-36 at halftime. The Trojans were shooting 46.4 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes with four 3-pointers landed along the way. Cal nailed six threes in the first half and shot 43.3 overall while leading on the boards 18-16 by the break. The battle raged on, and the teams wound up level on the boards 42-42 and almost even in scoring. Cal finished up shooting 40.3 percent overall with eight 3-pointers landed to edge out USC's 39.7 percent effort with seven threes nailed.
Kadi Sissoko led all scorers with 30 points — a season high for her as she finished out the game holding 1,015 career points — with Rayah Marshall adding 14 points and Kayla Williams and Destiny Littleton at 13 points apiece. Cal was paced by Jayda Curry's 27 points, along with 15 from Kemery Martín and 14 from Evelien Lute Schipholt.
Sissoko struck first in the half to get her career count officially past the 1,000-point mark, and she'd hit again for the Trojans to nudge USC ahead 40-36. The shootout continued as the score locked up three more times in the first five minutes of the third, even at 49-49 after a three-point play converted by Cal. The trend continued throughout the third. Marshall scored off a Sissoko feed to get USC up 61-59 with 19 seconds left, but Cal had the last word and had things even for the 16th time at 61-61 to enter the fourth. The Bears built an early four-point advantage before USC reeled them back in on more work from Sissoko. She'd knot things up at 67-67 with 6:20 to go. USC's Adika would get tagged for her fifth foul at 5:08 with Cal up a bucket, but USC kept pushing. Free throws from Sissoko were followed by a putback from Marshall for USC's first lead of the quarter, up 71-69 at 4:10. With a minute to go, it was level again, locked up at 73-73. USC came up empty on its looks for a go-ahead score, and Cal set up with the ball with 11 ticks on the clock. The Bears put up a prayer just ahead of the buzzer, and USC was tagged with a foul on the shot. After consultation, the officials overturned the foul call, and overtime would commence.
The battle raged on in OT. A three-point play by Cal had the Bears up 78-75 with 1:37 on the clock before Littleton equalized with her first 3-pointer of the day. Two Cal free throws had the Bears up 80-78 with 45 seconds to go, and a go-ahead look was off the mark. USC had to foul on the defensive board, sending Cal to the line with 8.5 ticks to go. The back end went, and USC's look at an equalizer rimmed out, leaving Cal with the 81-78 victory.
NEXT:
USC returns to Galen Center next for its final home games of the regular season. The Trojans host Washington at 8 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 23) before celebrating their Senior Day before a 12 p.m. clash against Washington State on Saturday (Feb. 25). USC is looking for a strong finish to conference play in prep for the coming Pac-12 Tournament, running March 1-5 in Las Vegas.
NOTABLE:
- With a season-high 30 points, GS Kadi Sissoko scored in double digits for the 17th time this season, her fifth time with 20 points or more.
- Making a layup with 9:45 left in the third quarter, Sissoko surpassed 1,000 career points. She finished the game with 1,015 career points.
- With three blocks, SO Rayah Marshall has recorded at least one block in 47 consecutive games played, her fifth consecutive game with three blocks or more.
- Marshall now holds 80 blocks this season — fourth most by a Trojan in a single season in program history (ties Cheryl Miller's 1984-85 total).
- During Marshall's five straight games with three blocks or more, she's averaged 4.6 blocks per contest.
- With 14 points, Marshall scored in double digits for the 17th time this season.
- Grabbing nine rebounds along with her 14 points, Marshall's eight-game streak of double-digit rebounds was snapped. During the streak, she averaged 14.5 rebounds per contest.
- With 13 points, GS Destiny Littleton scored in double digits for a team-leading 22nd time this season and ninth consecutive game.
- During Littleton's nine consecutive games in double digits, she has averaged 18 points per contest.
- Making two 3-pointers, GS Okako Adika recorded her 12th game this season with two or more 3-pointers and her fourth consecutive such effort.
- With 13 points, JR Kayla Williams scored in double digits for the fourth time this season.
- Making two 3-pointers, Williams recorded her fifth game this season with two or more 3-pointers
- Williams six rebounds tie her season-high, she also grabbed six against Cal on January 13, 2023.
- USC forced the Bears into 14 turnovers, the 26th time this season the Trojans have forced an opponent into double-digit turnovers.
- USC's 17 offensive rebounds is the 11th time this season it has grabbed 15 or more offensive rebounds.
USC and Cal were largely in lockstep throughout the first half, trading the lead 12 times and winding up snarled at 36-36 at halftime. The Trojans were shooting 46.4 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes with four 3-pointers landed along the way. Cal nailed six threes in the first half and shot 43.3 overall while leading on the boards 18-16 by the break. The battle raged on, and the teams wound up level on the boards 42-42 and almost even in scoring. Cal finished up shooting 40.3 percent overall with eight 3-pointers landed to edge out USC's 39.7 percent effort with seven threes nailed.
Kadi Sissoko led all scorers with 30 points — a season high for her as she finished out the game holding 1,015 career points — with Rayah Marshall adding 14 points and Kayla Williams and Destiny Littleton at 13 points apiece. Cal was paced by Jayda Curry's 27 points, along with 15 from Kemery Martín and 14 from Evelien Lute Schipholt.
Rayah Marshall's back-to-back jumpers helped get USC back on track after Cal opened up with a 5-0 lead. Marshall's strikes pulled USC on top 9-7 at 6:35, although Cal would answer with a 3-pointer to nudge back ahead. The see-saw battle continued, with the lead changing hands 11 times. USC snagged back the lead on a 3-pointer from Okako Adika to go up 24-22 in the final minute of the frame, only to see Cal equalize with 10 ticks to go to lock things up 24-24 at the close of the first. Both teams' scoring pace cooled to open the second, with the first buckets falling care of Cal hands as the Bears move ahead 29-24 with 7:00 on the clock. Sissoko snarled it up at 29-29 with a three and a score, and she'd pull things even again at 31-31 a few minutes later. Adika's second 3-pointer of the half had things tangled once more — this time at 34-34 with 1:50 left in the half — and that would hold through to the halftime buzzer.The bucket that put Kadi over 1,000 career points! ⬇️ https://t.co/bKMYyKD1Cz pic.twitter.com/y4P3Y9ITW5
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) February 19, 2023
Sissoko struck first in the half to get her career count officially past the 1,000-point mark, and she'd hit again for the Trojans to nudge USC ahead 40-36. The shootout continued as the score locked up three more times in the first five minutes of the third, even at 49-49 after a three-point play converted by Cal. The trend continued throughout the third. Marshall scored off a Sissoko feed to get USC up 61-59 with 19 seconds left, but Cal had the last word and had things even for the 16th time at 61-61 to enter the fourth. The Bears built an early four-point advantage before USC reeled them back in on more work from Sissoko. She'd knot things up at 67-67 with 6:20 to go. USC's Adika would get tagged for her fifth foul at 5:08 with Cal up a bucket, but USC kept pushing. Free throws from Sissoko were followed by a putback from Marshall for USC's first lead of the quarter, up 71-69 at 4:10. With a minute to go, it was level again, locked up at 73-73. USC came up empty on its looks for a go-ahead score, and Cal set up with the ball with 11 ticks on the clock. The Bears put up a prayer just ahead of the buzzer, and USC was tagged with a foul on the shot. After consultation, the officials overturned the foul call, and overtime would commence.
The battle raged on in OT. A three-point play by Cal had the Bears up 78-75 with 1:37 on the clock before Littleton equalized with her first 3-pointer of the day. Two Cal free throws had the Bears up 80-78 with 45 seconds to go, and a go-ahead look was off the mark. USC had to foul on the defensive board, sending Cal to the line with 8.5 ticks to go. The back end went, and USC's look at an equalizer rimmed out, leaving Cal with the 81-78 victory.
NEXT:
USC returns to Galen Center next for its final home games of the regular season. The Trojans host Washington at 8 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 23) before celebrating their Senior Day before a 12 p.m. clash against Washington State on Saturday (Feb. 25). USC is looking for a strong finish to conference play in prep for the coming Pac-12 Tournament, running March 1-5 in Las Vegas.
NOTABLE:
- With a season-high 30 points, GS Kadi Sissoko scored in double digits for the 17th time this season, her fifth time with 20 points or more.
- Making a layup with 9:45 left in the third quarter, Sissoko surpassed 1,000 career points. She finished the game with 1,015 career points.
- With three blocks, SO Rayah Marshall has recorded at least one block in 47 consecutive games played, her fifth consecutive game with three blocks or more.
- Marshall now holds 80 blocks this season — fourth most by a Trojan in a single season in program history (ties Cheryl Miller's 1984-85 total).
- During Marshall's five straight games with three blocks or more, she's averaged 4.6 blocks per contest.
- With 14 points, Marshall scored in double digits for the 17th time this season.
- Grabbing nine rebounds along with her 14 points, Marshall's eight-game streak of double-digit rebounds was snapped. During the streak, she averaged 14.5 rebounds per contest.
- With 13 points, GS Destiny Littleton scored in double digits for a team-leading 22nd time this season and ninth consecutive game.
- During Littleton's nine consecutive games in double digits, she has averaged 18 points per contest.
- Making two 3-pointers, GS Okako Adika recorded her 12th game this season with two or more 3-pointers and her fourth consecutive such effort.
- With 13 points, JR Kayla Williams scored in double digits for the fourth time this season.
- Making two 3-pointers, Williams recorded her fifth game this season with two or more 3-pointers
- Williams six rebounds tie her season-high, she also grabbed six against Cal on January 13, 2023.
- USC forced the Bears into 14 turnovers, the 26th time this season the Trojans have forced an opponent into double-digit turnovers.
- USC's 17 offensive rebounds is the 11th time this season it has grabbed 15 or more offensive rebounds.
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
