Sunday, February 25
Los Angeles, Calif.
12:00 PM
USC
21-5,11-5Pac-12
68
vs
74
Utah
20-8,10-6Pac-12
1
2
3
4
F
Utah
14
20
16
24
74
Southern California
6
22
17
23
68
Team Stats
Utah
USC
FG%
.489
.403
3FG%
.407
.200
FT%
.680
.667
RB
30
36
TO
16
13
STL
6
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
30
FGM
10
3FGM
1
FTM
9
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Katie Chin
No. 7 USC Women’s Basketball Falls To No. 18 Utah 74-68
February 25, 2024 | Women's Basketball
The Utes snap a seven-game win streak held by the Trojans.
LOS ANGELES — The No. 7 USC women's basketball team came up against a hot-handed No. 18 Utah squad as the Trojans had a seven-game win streak snapped in a 74-68 loss to the Utes today at Galen Center. USC goes to 21-5 overall and to 11-5 in Pac-12 play with its second loss of the season to Utah, which improves to 20-8, 10-6.
Utah was the more effective of the two teams in the first half, shooting 44 percent from the floor to outpace USC's 34.4 percent as the Utes led it 34-28 at halftime. USC had the edge on the boards 19-17, but it was Utah's 3-point attack that was giving USC trouble, landing six 3-pointers in the first half to just one by the Trojans. Utah kept finding the threes they needed to keep USC at bay. The Trojans forced two ties in the third, but the Utes had an answer and finished out the game with 11 threes made and 48.9 percent shooting overall. USC hit a season-low four 3-pointers and finished out shooting 40.3 percent overall. USC did win out on the boards, 36-30.
For the 24th time this season, JuJu Watkins led USC in scoring, notching her 12th game with 30 or more points with her 30-point effort today along with seven rebounds and five assists. Kaitlyn Davis matched her season high with 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 effort and pulled in eight rebounds, and McKenzie Forbes finished up with 10 points and two 3-pointers for the Trojans. Utah was led by Alissa Pili's 23 points and nine rebounds, with Kennedy McQueen scoring 14 points, Dasia Young adding 13 and Maty Wike scoring 11 for Utah.
USC's scoring touch was off in the first stretch, while Utah manufactured a 7-0 run to take an early 7-2 lead. Kayla Williams took it to the hole to give USC a boost with 1:45 on the clock, only to see Utah finish out the quarter with five straight points to lead it 14-6 after 10 minutes of action. USC got in a better groove in the next stretch, although the Utes were hitting from 3-point range. JuJu Watkins converted a pair of three-point plays around a Utah 3-pointer, and then McKenzie Forbes landed her first three of the game to carve into the Utah lead 17-15. The Utes kept striking from beyond the arc, however, hitting four threes in four minutes to build a 29-19 lead with 3:30 to go in the half. USC countered with a 5-0 push to make it 31-26 with 1:50 on the clock, and the rest was played out at the free-throw line as Utah led it 34-28 for halftime.
A seventh Utah 3-pointer fell early in the third to take the Utes ahead 39-30 before USC got a spark from a steal and spicy finish from Kaitlyn Davis as the Trojans struck off on a 9-0 run to snarl things up 39-39 with 4:00 on the clock. Utah would counter with an 8-0 run while burying two more threes to go up 49-41, but Davis put a stop to that run also with a tough finish in the paint at 1:25. She'd deliver again — now 6-of-6 from the floor — to make it a 50-45 margin entering the fourth. Watkins got USC within two with a 5-0 run all her own, but Utah knocked down its 10th 3-pointer next to make it 55-50 at 7:45. Watkins kept firing for the Trojan cause, eventually knocking down her first 3-pointer at 5:40 to make it 57-55. Utah kept pushing, hitting another three that was followed by a USC 3-pointer from Kayla Padilla to make it 64-60 with 3:25 to go. It was free throws for the next stretch before Watkins connected to make it 67-63 with 1:33 on the clock. With 50 ticks to go, Utah gripped a 70-63 lead, and although Forbes hit a key three in the final minute the Trojans were unable to reel in the Utes down the stretch as they held strong from the stripe to claim a 74-68 win.
NEXT:
USC hits the road next for its final Pac-12 regular-season games of the season, heading to Arizona for a Leap Day visit with the Wildcats on Thursday (Feb. 29) at 5 p.m. in Tucson. The Trojans will then head to Tempe to take on Arizona State at 11 a.m. on Saturday (March 2).
NOTABLE:
- With 30 points today, FR JuJu Watkins recorded her 12th game this season with 30 or more points scored, adding to her USC record for single-season 30-plus games..
- Watkins has led USC in scoring in 24 of the 25 games she's played as a Trojan.
- Watkins now holds the all-time USC freshman scoring record with 705 points, passing Paula McGee's previous 1981 record of 683 points.
- Watkins also now ranks No. 5 all-time at USC in single-season points.
- With two 3-pointers made tonight, GS McKenzie Forbes has hit at least one three in the past 24 games.
- With 13 points, GS Kaitlyn Davis tied her season high.
- In going 6-of-6 from the floor today, Davis is a perfect 10-for-10 shooting in the past two games.
- This is the eighth game of the season where six or more players have recorded a steal, totaling 10 steals for the team.
- This is the first game this season when USC has lost while outrebounding its opponent and shooting over 40 percent overall.
- USC's 20% 3-point percentage was its lowest this season, and four 3-pointers made matched its fewest made in a game this season..
Utah was the more effective of the two teams in the first half, shooting 44 percent from the floor to outpace USC's 34.4 percent as the Utes led it 34-28 at halftime. USC had the edge on the boards 19-17, but it was Utah's 3-point attack that was giving USC trouble, landing six 3-pointers in the first half to just one by the Trojans. Utah kept finding the threes they needed to keep USC at bay. The Trojans forced two ties in the third, but the Utes had an answer and finished out the game with 11 threes made and 48.9 percent shooting overall. USC hit a season-low four 3-pointers and finished out shooting 40.3 percent overall. USC did win out on the boards, 36-30.
For the 24th time this season, JuJu Watkins led USC in scoring, notching her 12th game with 30 or more points with her 30-point effort today along with seven rebounds and five assists. Kaitlyn Davis matched her season high with 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 effort and pulled in eight rebounds, and McKenzie Forbes finished up with 10 points and two 3-pointers for the Trojans. Utah was led by Alissa Pili's 23 points and nine rebounds, with Kennedy McQueen scoring 14 points, Dasia Young adding 13 and Maty Wike scoring 11 for Utah.
USC's scoring touch was off in the first stretch, while Utah manufactured a 7-0 run to take an early 7-2 lead. Kayla Williams took it to the hole to give USC a boost with 1:45 on the clock, only to see Utah finish out the quarter with five straight points to lead it 14-6 after 10 minutes of action. USC got in a better groove in the next stretch, although the Utes were hitting from 3-point range. JuJu Watkins converted a pair of three-point plays around a Utah 3-pointer, and then McKenzie Forbes landed her first three of the game to carve into the Utah lead 17-15. The Utes kept striking from beyond the arc, however, hitting four threes in four minutes to build a 29-19 lead with 3:30 to go in the half. USC countered with a 5-0 push to make it 31-26 with 1:50 on the clock, and the rest was played out at the free-throw line as Utah led it 34-28 for halftime.
A seventh Utah 3-pointer fell early in the third to take the Utes ahead 39-30 before USC got a spark from a steal and spicy finish from Kaitlyn Davis as the Trojans struck off on a 9-0 run to snarl things up 39-39 with 4:00 on the clock. Utah would counter with an 8-0 run while burying two more threes to go up 49-41, but Davis put a stop to that run also with a tough finish in the paint at 1:25. She'd deliver again — now 6-of-6 from the floor — to make it a 50-45 margin entering the fourth. Watkins got USC within two with a 5-0 run all her own, but Utah knocked down its 10th 3-pointer next to make it 55-50 at 7:45. Watkins kept firing for the Trojan cause, eventually knocking down her first 3-pointer at 5:40 to make it 57-55. Utah kept pushing, hitting another three that was followed by a USC 3-pointer from Kayla Padilla to make it 64-60 with 3:25 to go. It was free throws for the next stretch before Watkins connected to make it 67-63 with 1:33 on the clock. With 50 ticks to go, Utah gripped a 70-63 lead, and although Forbes hit a key three in the final minute the Trojans were unable to reel in the Utes down the stretch as they held strong from the stripe to claim a 74-68 win.
NEXT:
USC hits the road next for its final Pac-12 regular-season games of the season, heading to Arizona for a Leap Day visit with the Wildcats on Thursday (Feb. 29) at 5 p.m. in Tucson. The Trojans will then head to Tempe to take on Arizona State at 11 a.m. on Saturday (March 2).
NOTABLE:
- With 30 points today, FR JuJu Watkins recorded her 12th game this season with 30 or more points scored, adding to her USC record for single-season 30-plus games..
- Watkins has led USC in scoring in 24 of the 25 games she's played as a Trojan.
- Watkins now holds the all-time USC freshman scoring record with 705 points, passing Paula McGee's previous 1981 record of 683 points.
- Watkins also now ranks No. 5 all-time at USC in single-season points.
- With two 3-pointers made tonight, GS McKenzie Forbes has hit at least one three in the past 24 games.
- With 13 points, GS Kaitlyn Davis tied her season high.
- In going 6-of-6 from the floor today, Davis is a perfect 10-for-10 shooting in the past two games.
- This is the eighth game of the season where six or more players have recorded a steal, totaling 10 steals for the team.
- This is the first game this season when USC has lost while outrebounding its opponent and shooting over 40 percent overall.
- USC's 20% 3-point percentage was its lowest this season, and four 3-pointers made matched its fewest made in a game this season..
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
