Sunday, January 19
Bloomington, Ind.
9 a.m.
USC
17-1,7-0Big Ten
73
at
66
Indiana
12-6,4-3Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Southern California
14
24
13
22
73
Indiana
19
13
18
16
66
Team Stats
USC
IND
FG%
.390
.375
3FG%
.333
.276
FT%
.875
.727
RB
38
35
TO
12
15
STL
11
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
8
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
9
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Katie Chin
No. 4 USC Women’s Basketball Weathers Indiana’s Storm For 73-66 Win In Bloomington
January 19, 2025 | Women's Basketball
USC wins its 13th straight behind five Trojans in double digits.
BLOOMINGTON, IND. — The No. 4 USC women's basketball team weathered an Indiana scoring storm and crafted a 12-0 rally in the fourth to take the lead for good and then fend off the host Hoosiers for a 73-66 Trojan victory today in Bloomington, Ind. It was USC's first-ever trip to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, which was packed with over 12,000 fans who saw the lead switch hands eight times before the Trojans made their winning move. USC is now 17-1 overall and 7-0 in Big Ten play in winning its 13th straight game. Indiana goes to 12-6, 4-3 with today's decision.
USC countered a 12-0 Indiana run in the first quarter with a 14-2 Trojan rally in the second to lead things 38-32 at halftime. USC was shooting 42.3 percent from the floor to that point after going 25 percent in the first quarter. Indiana was at 37 percent at the half, and USC was up on the boards 19-14. USC cooled again in the third but got warm enough in the fourth to close out that game shooting 39 percent overall with six 3-pointers landed. Indiana hit at a 37.5-percent clip and tallied eight threes on the day. USC also ended up outrebounding the Hoosiers 38-35. On the free-throw front, USC was 21-of-24 and Indiana went 16-of-22.
USC had all four starters score in double digits today, led by JuJu Watson's 22 points. Kiki Iriafen and Kennedy Smith had 14 apiece, while Rayah Marshall registered her 38th career double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds. Talia von Oelhoffen also weighed in with 10 points for the Trojan cause. Indiana had four Hoosiers in double figures, paced by Sydney Parrish's 16 points and 10 rebounds along with 13 points from Chloe Moore-McNeil and 10 each by Karoline Striplin and Yarden Garzon.
USC got out to a good start with four straight points from Kiki Iriafen and a Kennedy Smith 3-pointer that followed the Hoosiers' first bucket, but the Trojans saw their 9-2 advantage melt away when Indiana started hitting. The hosts fired off on a 12-0 run to take an 18-11 lead with two minutes left in the first frame. The Trojans got some free throws to fall, but came up empty from the floor for the last 6:45 of that first quarter to trail 19-14 after 10 minutes of action. USC's deficit would dip to a 25-14 hole a minute into the second before the Trojans found a spark. Talia von Oelhoffen and JuJu Watkins each uncorked a 3-pointer for the Trojan cause, and after Indiana scored a bucket it was USC's Rayah Marshall who stepped up next. She converted on back-to-back three-point plays to get USC one back. Iriafen delivered next, and USC had squeaked back on top 28-27 with 5:30 on the clock thanks to that 14-2 rally. The Hoosiers hit a three to edge back ahead with 4:52 to go, but that would be the last bucket Indiana scored from the floor the rest of the half. USC scored six straight to steal back into the lead at 34-30 with 2:47 remaining in the half. Three free throws fell for the Hoosiers before the break, but the last word was had by USC's Smith with a spinning take to the hoop to get USC a 38-32 lead at halftime.
The third unfurled as a back-and-forth battle before the Hoosiers landed a couple late threes, carving into USC's lead and then stealing it away with a Indiana's sixth 3-pointer of the day to go up 50-48 in the final minute. Watkins would unleash a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, however, and USC was up 51-50 entering the fourth. Indiana hit again out of the gates with five quick points to nudge ahead 55-51. A von Oelhoffen 3-pointer drained next, though, and USC would fire off 12 unanswered points to go up 63-55 with 4:27 to go. After almost six minutes of scoring silence, Indiana hit two free throws at 4:08 to break up USC's surge, and the see-saw battle was back underway. Smith drilled a three at 1:22, and the Hoosiers hit back with a three and a bucket to make it 70-66 with 1:30 on the clock. That margin would hold until Marshall hit the back end of a trip to the stripe with 27 ticks to go, edging USC ahead 71-66. The Trojans broke the press next and found a fine finish from Iriafen off a von Oelhoffen feed, netting a 73-66 USC advantage with under 11 seconds left remaining, and the scoreboard would sit at that final for the buzzer.
NEXT:
USC now heads West Lafayette, Ind., to pay a visit to Purdue for the first time in program history. The Trojans will face the Boilermakers at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday (Jan. 22).
NOTABLE:
- USC's 17-1 start to the season and 7-0 start in conference play is its best since the 1993-94 season.
- USC is now on a 13-game win streak.
- The Trojans have recorded wins streaks of 10 or more straight games during back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons.
- SO JuJu Watkins (22 points) and GS Kiki Iriafen (14) have now both scored in double digits in all 18 USC games this season.
- Watkins has now scored 20 or more points in 44 of her 52 career games at USC.
- With one block today, Watkins has recorded at least one block in eight straight games.
- With two 3-pointers made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 13 games.
- With 13 points and 10 rebounds, SR Rayah Marshall has recorded her third double-double of the season.
- Now with 38 double-doubles in her USC career, Marshall stands alone at No. 7 all-time in career double-doubles at USC.
- With two blocks today, Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 16 games.
- Marshall made a season-high nine free throws.
- FR Kennedy Smith set a new career high with five assists.
- USC went on a 24-7 run to overcome a double-digit deficit in the second quarter.
- This is the fourth game this season with five or more Trojans scoring in double digits.
- With this win, USC moves to 14-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
- USC is now 14-0 when holding an opponent under 40 percent shooting from the floor.
- USC is 15-0 when scoring 70 or more points.
- USC shot under 40 percent (39.0) from the floor for just the second time this season; last was 35.8 percent in a loss to Notre Dame.
USC countered a 12-0 Indiana run in the first quarter with a 14-2 Trojan rally in the second to lead things 38-32 at halftime. USC was shooting 42.3 percent from the floor to that point after going 25 percent in the first quarter. Indiana was at 37 percent at the half, and USC was up on the boards 19-14. USC cooled again in the third but got warm enough in the fourth to close out that game shooting 39 percent overall with six 3-pointers landed. Indiana hit at a 37.5-percent clip and tallied eight threes on the day. USC also ended up outrebounding the Hoosiers 38-35. On the free-throw front, USC was 21-of-24 and Indiana went 16-of-22.
USC had all four starters score in double digits today, led by JuJu Watson's 22 points. Kiki Iriafen and Kennedy Smith had 14 apiece, while Rayah Marshall registered her 38th career double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds. Talia von Oelhoffen also weighed in with 10 points for the Trojan cause. Indiana had four Hoosiers in double figures, paced by Sydney Parrish's 16 points and 10 rebounds along with 13 points from Chloe Moore-McNeil and 10 each by Karoline Striplin and Yarden Garzon.
USC got out to a good start with four straight points from Kiki Iriafen and a Kennedy Smith 3-pointer that followed the Hoosiers' first bucket, but the Trojans saw their 9-2 advantage melt away when Indiana started hitting. The hosts fired off on a 12-0 run to take an 18-11 lead with two minutes left in the first frame. The Trojans got some free throws to fall, but came up empty from the floor for the last 6:45 of that first quarter to trail 19-14 after 10 minutes of action. USC's deficit would dip to a 25-14 hole a minute into the second before the Trojans found a spark. Talia von Oelhoffen and JuJu Watkins each uncorked a 3-pointer for the Trojan cause, and after Indiana scored a bucket it was USC's Rayah Marshall who stepped up next. She converted on back-to-back three-point plays to get USC one back. Iriafen delivered next, and USC had squeaked back on top 28-27 with 5:30 on the clock thanks to that 14-2 rally. The Hoosiers hit a three to edge back ahead with 4:52 to go, but that would be the last bucket Indiana scored from the floor the rest of the half. USC scored six straight to steal back into the lead at 34-30 with 2:47 remaining in the half. Three free throws fell for the Hoosiers before the break, but the last word was had by USC's Smith with a spinning take to the hoop to get USC a 38-32 lead at halftime.
The third unfurled as a back-and-forth battle before the Hoosiers landed a couple late threes, carving into USC's lead and then stealing it away with a Indiana's sixth 3-pointer of the day to go up 50-48 in the final minute. Watkins would unleash a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, however, and USC was up 51-50 entering the fourth. Indiana hit again out of the gates with five quick points to nudge ahead 55-51. A von Oelhoffen 3-pointer drained next, though, and USC would fire off 12 unanswered points to go up 63-55 with 4:27 to go. After almost six minutes of scoring silence, Indiana hit two free throws at 4:08 to break up USC's surge, and the see-saw battle was back underway. Smith drilled a three at 1:22, and the Hoosiers hit back with a three and a bucket to make it 70-66 with 1:30 on the clock. That margin would hold until Marshall hit the back end of a trip to the stripe with 27 ticks to go, edging USC ahead 71-66. The Trojans broke the press next and found a fine finish from Iriafen off a von Oelhoffen feed, netting a 73-66 USC advantage with under 11 seconds left remaining, and the scoreboard would sit at that final for the buzzer.
NEXT:
USC now heads West Lafayette, Ind., to pay a visit to Purdue for the first time in program history. The Trojans will face the Boilermakers at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday (Jan. 22).
NOTABLE:
- USC's 17-1 start to the season and 7-0 start in conference play is its best since the 1993-94 season.
- USC is now on a 13-game win streak.
- The Trojans have recorded wins streaks of 10 or more straight games during back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons.
- SO JuJu Watkins (22 points) and GS Kiki Iriafen (14) have now both scored in double digits in all 18 USC games this season.
- Watkins has now scored 20 or more points in 44 of her 52 career games at USC.
- With one block today, Watkins has recorded at least one block in eight straight games.
- With two 3-pointers made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 13 games.
- With 13 points and 10 rebounds, SR Rayah Marshall has recorded her third double-double of the season.
- Now with 38 double-doubles in her USC career, Marshall stands alone at No. 7 all-time in career double-doubles at USC.
- With two blocks today, Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 16 games.
- Marshall made a season-high nine free throws.
- FR Kennedy Smith set a new career high with five assists.
- USC went on a 24-7 run to overcome a double-digit deficit in the second quarter.
- This is the fourth game this season with five or more Trojans scoring in double digits.
- With this win, USC moves to 14-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
- USC is now 14-0 when holding an opponent under 40 percent shooting from the floor.
- USC is 15-0 when scoring 70 or more points.
- USC shot under 40 percent (39.0) from the floor for just the second time this season; last was 35.8 percent in a loss to Notre Dame.
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
