Wednesday, November 27
Palm Springs, Calif.
4:00 p.m.
USC
5-1,0-0Big Ten
84
vs
51
Seton Hall
4-2,0-0Big East
1
2
3
4
F
Seton Hall
13
13
16
9
51
Southern California
27
15
20
22
84
Team Stats
SHU
USC
FG%
.323
.493
3FG%
.217
.286
FT%
.444
.625
RB
27
56
TO
13
16
STL
7
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
2
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 Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Chris Mora
No. 6 USC Women’s Basketball Outshines Seton Hall 84-51 In Palm Desert
November 27, 2024 | Women's Basketball
JuJu Watkins, Rayah Marshall, Kiki Iriafen and Avery Howell hit double digits for USC at Acrisure Invitational.
PALM DESERT, CALIF. — The No. 6 USC women's basketball team made its power move in the second half to turn a single-digit lead into a dominating finish as the Trojans topped Seton Hall 84-51 at the Acrisure Invitational today at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif. USC had four Trojans hit double digits and a total of nine score in the win, which improved USC to 5-1 overall. Seton Hall is now 4-2 overall.
USC peeled out to a hot start, shooting 61 percent from the floor in the first 10 minutes to build a hefty early lead. Things cooled a bit in the next stretch, and USC was hitting at 48.6 percent overall by halftime to lead Seton Hall 42-26 at the break. The Pirates shot 36.7 from the floor in those first 20 minutes, with Faith Masonius leading all scorers with 18 points for SHU at the half. Seton Hall got the deficit down to single digits, only to see the Trojans find their groove. By the final buzzer, nine Trojans had scored and USC hit at a 49-percent clip with six 3-pointers landed while outrebounding the Pirates 56-27. Seton Hall wrapped the game at 32 percent overall with five threes made.
USC had four players finish in double digits, led by JuJu Watkins' 20 points and a double-double from Rayah Marshall on 14 points and 11 rebounds. Kiki Iriafen scored 15 for the Trojans and added nine rebounds, while freshman Avery Howell set her career highs with 14 points and eight rebounds. Seton Hall received a game-high 25 points from Faith Masonius.
Seton Hall punched up the first points of the game and put USC in a catchup position for the first few minutes. USC leveled it three times and then got a go-ahead 3-pointer from Kayleigh Heckel. The freshman would add a three-point play later to net a 13-9 USC lead, and then fellow freshman Avery Howell scored 10 points in 1:20 to carry USC ahead 27-13 after 10 minutes of play. The scoring pace slowed in the second frame until a bucket from Kiki Iriafen seemed to warm the Trojans back up. A three-point play from Rayah Marshall with 2:38 on the clock pushed USC ahead 36-21, and JuJu Watkins would score twice in the final minute of the half to help USC lead things 42-26 at the break.
Seton Hall staged a 9-0 rally to carve down the deficit, trailing USC 44-35 before Marshall struck to get USC a boost. Iriafen delivered two free throws soon after, and Talia von Oelhoffen drained a key USC three to make it 51-37 Trojans entering the final four minutes of the third. USC kept clicking, with Watkins scoring seven straight and Marshall delivering down low to carry the Trojans along on a 14-0 surge that had USC ahead 60-37 in the final minute. The Pirates got a couple late ones to go around a strike from Iriafen, and USC gripped a 62-42 lead entering the fourth. Iriafen and von Oelhoffen helped USC continue to chug along, and USC outscored Seton Hall 13-3 while building a 78-49 lead. Clarice Akunwafo became the eight Trojan to score with her bucket at 3:45, and Vivian Iwuchukwu would top it all off as USC's ninth scorer to wrap up an 84-51 Trojan victory.
NEXT:
USC continues competition at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational with a clash against Saint Louis at 4 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 29) at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif.
NOTABLE:
- USC outrebounded Seton Hall 56-27. It was USC's largest rebound advantage in a game this season and a season high for total rebounds by the Trojans.
- SO JuJu Watkins scored 20 points today and has now scored 20 or more points in 32 of 40 career games.
- SR Rayah Marshall scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season; she also had a career-high six assists.
- Marshall now has 36 career double-doubles, one behind Ebony Hoffman, who is in seventh on USC's all-time list with 37.
- Now with 920 career rebounds, Marshall ranks No. 9 all-time in career boards at USC.
- FR Kayleigh Heckel made her second career and second consecutive start for the Trojans and finished with eight points and two assists.
- FR Avery Howell scored a team-high 10 points in the first quarter and finished with a career-best 14 points along with a career-high eight rebounds.
- SR Clarice Akunwafo scored a season-best four points and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.
- With double digits today, Watkins (20 points) and Kiki Iriafen (15) have scored in double digits in all six games for USC this season.
- USC now has a 5-0 record in the all-time series against Seton Hall.
- USC's bench outscored Seton Hall's reserves 22-5.
USC peeled out to a hot start, shooting 61 percent from the floor in the first 10 minutes to build a hefty early lead. Things cooled a bit in the next stretch, and USC was hitting at 48.6 percent overall by halftime to lead Seton Hall 42-26 at the break. The Pirates shot 36.7 from the floor in those first 20 minutes, with Faith Masonius leading all scorers with 18 points for SHU at the half. Seton Hall got the deficit down to single digits, only to see the Trojans find their groove. By the final buzzer, nine Trojans had scored and USC hit at a 49-percent clip with six 3-pointers landed while outrebounding the Pirates 56-27. Seton Hall wrapped the game at 32 percent overall with five threes made.
USC had four players finish in double digits, led by JuJu Watkins' 20 points and a double-double from Rayah Marshall on 14 points and 11 rebounds. Kiki Iriafen scored 15 for the Trojans and added nine rebounds, while freshman Avery Howell set her career highs with 14 points and eight rebounds. Seton Hall received a game-high 25 points from Faith Masonius.
Seton Hall punched up the first points of the game and put USC in a catchup position for the first few minutes. USC leveled it three times and then got a go-ahead 3-pointer from Kayleigh Heckel. The freshman would add a three-point play later to net a 13-9 USC lead, and then fellow freshman Avery Howell scored 10 points in 1:20 to carry USC ahead 27-13 after 10 minutes of play. The scoring pace slowed in the second frame until a bucket from Kiki Iriafen seemed to warm the Trojans back up. A three-point play from Rayah Marshall with 2:38 on the clock pushed USC ahead 36-21, and JuJu Watkins would score twice in the final minute of the half to help USC lead things 42-26 at the break.
Seton Hall staged a 9-0 rally to carve down the deficit, trailing USC 44-35 before Marshall struck to get USC a boost. Iriafen delivered two free throws soon after, and Talia von Oelhoffen drained a key USC three to make it 51-37 Trojans entering the final four minutes of the third. USC kept clicking, with Watkins scoring seven straight and Marshall delivering down low to carry the Trojans along on a 14-0 surge that had USC ahead 60-37 in the final minute. The Pirates got a couple late ones to go around a strike from Iriafen, and USC gripped a 62-42 lead entering the fourth. Iriafen and von Oelhoffen helped USC continue to chug along, and USC outscored Seton Hall 13-3 while building a 78-49 lead. Clarice Akunwafo became the eight Trojan to score with her bucket at 3:45, and Vivian Iwuchukwu would top it all off as USC's ninth scorer to wrap up an 84-51 Trojan victory.
NEXT:
USC continues competition at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational with a clash against Saint Louis at 4 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 29) at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif.
NOTABLE:
- USC outrebounded Seton Hall 56-27. It was USC's largest rebound advantage in a game this season and a season high for total rebounds by the Trojans.
- SO JuJu Watkins scored 20 points today and has now scored 20 or more points in 32 of 40 career games.
- SR Rayah Marshall scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season; she also had a career-high six assists.
- Marshall now has 36 career double-doubles, one behind Ebony Hoffman, who is in seventh on USC's all-time list with 37.
- Now with 920 career rebounds, Marshall ranks No. 9 all-time in career boards at USC.
- FR Kayleigh Heckel made her second career and second consecutive start for the Trojans and finished with eight points and two assists.
- FR Avery Howell scored a team-high 10 points in the first quarter and finished with a career-best 14 points along with a career-high eight rebounds.
- SR Clarice Akunwafo scored a season-best four points and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.
- With double digits today, Watkins (20 points) and Kiki Iriafen (15) have scored in double digits in all six games for USC this season.
- USC now has a 5-0 record in the all-time series against Seton Hall.
- USC's bench outscored Seton Hall's reserves 22-5.
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
