Wednesday, January 22
West Lafayette, Ind.
4:00 p.m.
USC
18-1,8-0Big Ten
79
at
37
Purdue
7-12,0-8Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Southern California
15
31
19
14
79
Purdue
16
2
10
9
37
Team Stats
USC
Purdue
FG%
.435
.306
3FG%
.367
.133
FT%
.933
.455
RB
40
30
TO
12
23
STL
9
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
6
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Katie Chin
No. 4 USC Women’s Basketball Picks Up 14th Straight Win In 79-37 Victory At Purdue
January 22, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Freshman Avery Howell hits a career-high 18 points to help pace the Trojans to another Big Ten road trip.
WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. — The No. 4 USC women's basketball team trailed early and then pulled out all the stops to pick up a 79-37 win over Purdue in the Trojans' first-ever trip to West Lafayette, Ind. With another successful Big Ten road trip in the books, USC carries a 14-game win streak back to Los Angeles with an 18-1 overall and 8-0 conference record in tow. Purdue is now 7-12, 0-8.
USC bounced out of an early nine-point hole with a 31-0 scoring run that spanned the first and second quarters while Purdue went silent for almost 10 minutes. USC led things 46-18 at halftime on 45.5 percent shooting with six 3-pointers landed in those 20 minutes. Purdue shot 32 percent from the floor and had two threes landed by the break, while USC led on the boards 22-12. The Trojans would wrap the game with 11 threes landed with a near-perfect 14-of-15 effort from the free-throw line. USC shots 43.5 percent from the floor overall in the win, and the Boilermakers finished at 30.6 percent.
USC had three players score in double digits on the night, led by freshman Avery Howell's career-high 18 points with four 3-pointers made. JuJu Watkins added 16 points and Kennedy Smith scored 12, while Rayah Marshall hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds for USC. Purdue received 10 points from Kendall Puryear as the Boilermakers' only player in double figures.
Purdue punched first with a quick bucket and then answered a Talia von Oelhoffen 3-pointer with a 9-0 Boilermaker rally to lead it 14-5 six minutes into the action. A three-point play converted by Rayah Marshall helped right the ship for the Trojans, who outscored Purdue 10-2 the rest of the way. Thanks to a 3-pointer from Kennedy Smith and a score down low from Kiki Iriafen, the Trojans were just one back at 16-15 to close the first quarter. A three-point play from Iriafen to kick off the second tugged the Trojans back on top, 18-16. That helped USC add to the run it left off in the first, stretching to a 31-0 rally with helpful hits from JuJu Watkins, Avery Howell, Kayleigh Heckel and Marshall to manufacture a 41-16 lead with under three minutes left in the half. Purdue interrupted that run at 1:58 with a bucket that snapped almost 10 minutes of scoring silence by the host, and then Howell dumped in her second 3-pointer of the half and hit a pair of free throws to make it a 46-18 USC lead at halftime.
Watkins opened the third with a 3-pointer, and Howell hit two more while Kayleigh Heckel and Vivian Iwuchukwu joined the scoresheet to help USC to a 65-28 lead entering the fourth. USC had wrapped the third on a 7-0 run and extended it further with a score from Watkins. Smith would strike twice from 3-point range in the fourth to further the Trojan cause, her second followed by a bucket from Iwuchukwu to make it a 77-37 USC advantage with 3:30 to go. Iwuchukwu capped off USC's scoring to get herself a new career high of eight points and top off USC's 79-37 final victory.
NEXT:
USC returns to Los Angeles to set up for a single Big Ten test next week as the Trojans host Minnesota on Thursday (Jan. 30) at 7 p.m. in the Golden Gophers' first-ever trip to Galen Center.
NOTABLE:
- USC's 18-1 start to the season is its best since the 1981-82 season, and its 8-0 start in conference play is its best since the 1993-94 season.
- USC is now on a 14-game win streak. This is its longest win streak since the 1983-84 season. (14 games, so a tie, next longest is 1982-83).
- With 16 points, SO JuJu Watkins has scored in double digits in all 19 games this season.
- With two blocks, Watkins has recorded at least one block in nine straight games.
- With two 3-pointers made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 14 games.
- This is SR Rayah Marshall's eighth game this season with double-digit rebounds (13 tonight).
- With two blocks, Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 17 games.
- This is FR Kennedy Smith's fifth career game with three or more steals. With three steals tonight, she's recorded at least one steal in 10 of 12 games played.
- FR Avery Howell set career highs in points (18), 3-pointers made (four), and steals (three).
- With eight points on perfect shooting, FR Vivian Iwuchukwu set a new career high.
- USC's largest run was 31-0 — USC's second longest scoring run this season behind a 37-0 run vs. CSUN on Nov. 12.
- The Trojans held the Boilermakers to two points in the second quarter, the lowest-scoring quarter for Purdue this season, and for any USC opponent this season.
- USC held Purdue to 37 points, the lowest point total for the Boilermakers this season.
- This is the fourth game this season that USC has held its opponent to under 40 points.
- This is the sixth game this season that the Trojans have won by 40+ points.
- With this win, USC moves to 15-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
- USC is now 15-0 when holding an opponent under 40 percent shooting from the floor.
- USC is 16-0 when scoring 70 or more points.
- USC's 11 threes made was its most in a Big Ten game this season and tied the second most in any game this season.
USC bounced out of an early nine-point hole with a 31-0 scoring run that spanned the first and second quarters while Purdue went silent for almost 10 minutes. USC led things 46-18 at halftime on 45.5 percent shooting with six 3-pointers landed in those 20 minutes. Purdue shot 32 percent from the floor and had two threes landed by the break, while USC led on the boards 22-12. The Trojans would wrap the game with 11 threes landed with a near-perfect 14-of-15 effort from the free-throw line. USC shots 43.5 percent from the floor overall in the win, and the Boilermakers finished at 30.6 percent.
USC had three players score in double digits on the night, led by freshman Avery Howell's career-high 18 points with four 3-pointers made. JuJu Watkins added 16 points and Kennedy Smith scored 12, while Rayah Marshall hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds for USC. Purdue received 10 points from Kendall Puryear as the Boilermakers' only player in double figures.
Purdue punched first with a quick bucket and then answered a Talia von Oelhoffen 3-pointer with a 9-0 Boilermaker rally to lead it 14-5 six minutes into the action. A three-point play converted by Rayah Marshall helped right the ship for the Trojans, who outscored Purdue 10-2 the rest of the way. Thanks to a 3-pointer from Kennedy Smith and a score down low from Kiki Iriafen, the Trojans were just one back at 16-15 to close the first quarter. A three-point play from Iriafen to kick off the second tugged the Trojans back on top, 18-16. That helped USC add to the run it left off in the first, stretching to a 31-0 rally with helpful hits from JuJu Watkins, Avery Howell, Kayleigh Heckel and Marshall to manufacture a 41-16 lead with under three minutes left in the half. Purdue interrupted that run at 1:58 with a bucket that snapped almost 10 minutes of scoring silence by the host, and then Howell dumped in her second 3-pointer of the half and hit a pair of free throws to make it a 46-18 USC lead at halftime.
Watkins opened the third with a 3-pointer, and Howell hit two more while Kayleigh Heckel and Vivian Iwuchukwu joined the scoresheet to help USC to a 65-28 lead entering the fourth. USC had wrapped the third on a 7-0 run and extended it further with a score from Watkins. Smith would strike twice from 3-point range in the fourth to further the Trojan cause, her second followed by a bucket from Iwuchukwu to make it a 77-37 USC advantage with 3:30 to go. Iwuchukwu capped off USC's scoring to get herself a new career high of eight points and top off USC's 79-37 final victory.
NEXT:
USC returns to Los Angeles to set up for a single Big Ten test next week as the Trojans host Minnesota on Thursday (Jan. 30) at 7 p.m. in the Golden Gophers' first-ever trip to Galen Center.
NOTABLE:
- USC's 18-1 start to the season is its best since the 1981-82 season, and its 8-0 start in conference play is its best since the 1993-94 season.
- USC is now on a 14-game win streak. This is its longest win streak since the 1983-84 season. (14 games, so a tie, next longest is 1982-83).
- With 16 points, SO JuJu Watkins has scored in double digits in all 19 games this season.
- With two blocks, Watkins has recorded at least one block in nine straight games.
- With two 3-pointers made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 14 games.
- This is SR Rayah Marshall's eighth game this season with double-digit rebounds (13 tonight).
- With two blocks, Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 17 games.
- This is FR Kennedy Smith's fifth career game with three or more steals. With three steals tonight, she's recorded at least one steal in 10 of 12 games played.
- FR Avery Howell set career highs in points (18), 3-pointers made (four), and steals (three).
- With eight points on perfect shooting, FR Vivian Iwuchukwu set a new career high.
- USC's largest run was 31-0 — USC's second longest scoring run this season behind a 37-0 run vs. CSUN on Nov. 12.
- The Trojans held the Boilermakers to two points in the second quarter, the lowest-scoring quarter for Purdue this season, and for any USC opponent this season.
- USC held Purdue to 37 points, the lowest point total for the Boilermakers this season.
- This is the fourth game this season that USC has held its opponent to under 40 points.
- This is the sixth game this season that the Trojans have won by 40+ points.
- With this win, USC moves to 15-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
- USC is now 15-0 when holding an opponent under 40 percent shooting from the floor.
- USC is 16-0 when scoring 70 or more points.
- USC's 11 threes made was its most in a Big Ten game this season and tied the second most in any 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
