Thursday, January 30
Los Angeles, Calif.
7:00 p.m.
USC
19-1,9-0Big Ten
82
vs
69
Minnesota
18-4,6-4Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Minnesota
15
13
21
20
69
Southern California
25
15
24
18
82
Team Stats
MINN
USC
FG%
.412
.455
3FG%
.385
.407
FT%
.667
.579
RB
35
42
TO
10
14
STL
7
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
23
FGM
9
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Katie Chin
No. 4 USC Women’s Basketball Maneuvers To 82-69 Victory Over Minnesota, Extending Win Streak to 15
January 30, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins both notched double-doubles as the Trojans never trailed the Golden Gophers at Galen.
LOS ANGELES — The No. 4 USC women's basketball team earned its 15th straight win in a choppy game with visiting Minnesota, with Trojans Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins each recording double-doubles in an 82-69 victory at Galen Center. Now 19-1 overall and 9-0 in Big Ten play, USC is enjoying its best start to a season since 1981-82
USC was more effective from beyond the arc than from the floor overall in the first half, hitting 7-of-17 from 3-point range but ending up at 35.9 percent overall. Minnesota shot 36.4 percent in those first 20 minutes but landed just one 3-pointer as the Trojans gripped a 40-28 lead at halftime. USC was also ahead on the boards 25-21, and there were eight Trojans in the score column by the break. USC's scoring touch warmed up in the second half, as the Trojans finished out the game shooting 45.5 percent to outpace Minnesota's final 41.2 percent. USC wrapped things up by outrebounding the Golden Gophers 42-35.
USC's Iriafen registered her seventh double-double as a Trojan with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Watkins notched her fourth of the season on 20 points and 11 rebounds. Avery Howell also hit double figures with 12 points, hitting four 3-pointers on the night. Minnesota also had three players finish in double digits, led by Sophie Hart with 18 and Mallory Heyer with 17, along with 14 from Amaya Battle. Heyer hit all five of the Golden Gophers' 3-pointers in the game.
JuJu Watkins hit her first field goal of the game on USC on the Trojans' first possession and then bettered that with a 3-pointer — USC's eighth — to nudge USC ahead 45-28 early in the second half. The Golden Gophers bit back with a 9-0 rally to chip away at USC's lead and make it an eight-point game with 6:00 on the clock. The Trojans responded care of another fuse lit by Iriafen. She scored seven straight for the Trojans, and then Avery Howell drained back-to-back threes to answer a single Minnesota score, lifting USC ahead 58-41 two minutes later. Heckel served up a three-point play soon after, and USC gripped a 20-point lead with 3:25 on the clock. Minnesota wrapped a couple late threes around a Watkins bucket, and it was a 64-49 USC lead entering the fourth. The Golden Gophers found a groove again and claimed the first nine points of the quarter to get the margin down to six before Howell hit another three for the Trojan cause and got the score to 67-58. Watkins unleashed seven straight points all her own soon after a Minnesota bucket, and USC was up 74-60 as the teams entered the final four minutes of play. More contributions from Smith, Iriafen and Watkins would help wrap things up in a final 82-69 USC decision for its 15th straight victory.
NEXT:
USC sets off on another Big Ten road trip next, heading to visit Iowa in Iowa City for the first time in a 12:30 p.m. CT meeting on Sunday (Feb. 2). From there, the Trojans travel to Wisconsin to face the Badgers at 6:30 p.m. CT on Feb. 5.
NOTABLE:
- USC's 19-1 start to the season is its best since the 1981-82 season, the best start in program history. Its 9-0 start in conference play is its best since the 1993-94 season.
- USC is now on a 15-game win streak, which is its longest since the 1982-83 season.
- With 23 points and 11 rebounds, GS Kiki Iriafen recorded her seventh double-double of the season.
- Iriafen tied her career high with two 3-pointers made.
- With 20 points and 11 rebounds, SO JuJu Watkins recorded her fourth double-double of the season.
- This is the second time this season that Iriafen and Watkins have recorded double-doubles in the same game – last time was vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 4.
- Watkins has scored in double digits in all 20 games this season.
- Watkins has now scored 20 or more points in 45 of her 54 career games at USC.
- With one 3-pointer made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 15 games.
- With one block, Watkins has recorded at least one block in ten straight games.
- With two steals tonight, FR Kennedy Smith has recorded at least one steal in 11 of 13 games played.
- FR Avery Howell and Smith tied their career highs for blocks with two each.
- With four 3-pointers made, Howell tied her career high.
- FR Kayleigh Heckel tied her season high for assists with four.
- This is the ninth time this season that the Trojans have recorded 20+ assists.
- With this win, USC moves to 16-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
- USC is 17-0 when scoring 70 or more points and 16-0 when holding an opponent to under 70 points.
- SR Rayah Marshall did not play due to injury; SR Clarice Akunwafo made her first start of the season tonight.
USC was more effective from beyond the arc than from the floor overall in the first half, hitting 7-of-17 from 3-point range but ending up at 35.9 percent overall. Minnesota shot 36.4 percent in those first 20 minutes but landed just one 3-pointer as the Trojans gripped a 40-28 lead at halftime. USC was also ahead on the boards 25-21, and there were eight Trojans in the score column by the break. USC's scoring touch warmed up in the second half, as the Trojans finished out the game shooting 45.5 percent to outpace Minnesota's final 41.2 percent. USC wrapped things up by outrebounding the Golden Gophers 42-35.
USC's Iriafen registered her seventh double-double as a Trojan with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Watkins notched her fourth of the season on 20 points and 11 rebounds. Avery Howell also hit double figures with 12 points, hitting four 3-pointers on the night. Minnesota also had three players finish in double digits, led by Sophie Hart with 18 and Mallory Heyer with 17, along with 14 from Amaya Battle. Heyer hit all five of the Golden Gophers' 3-pointers in the game.
USC opened up with a 6-0 start keyed largely by Kennedy Smith's efforts on both ends of the court. Soon after, it was all Kiki Iriafen for the Trojans, as she pumped in nine straight points on a three-point play and then back-to-back 3-pointers to build out an 18-3 USC advantage with 4:45 on the clock. Minnesota would mount an answering push later on an 8-0 surge that carved USC's lead to 22-15 in the final minute of the first. The Trojans had the last word, however, with Kayleigh Heckel finding Talia von Oelhoffen for a corner three that had the scoreline at 25-15 USC after 10 minutes of action. Malia Samuels and Avery Howell got in on USC's 3-point parade in the second frame, each going long to help USC craft a 39-26 lead before the halftime score wrapped as a 40-28 Trojan advantage."We know how talented we are, but we're not there yet…That's why we are so eager for every practice, every game; just to grow and get better."
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) January 31, 2025
After hitting a career-high four three-pointers Thursday, @averyhowell44 spoke to @keelyismyname about @USCWBB's 15-game win streak ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LANFLXVpIe
JuJu Watkins hit her first field goal of the game on USC on the Trojans' first possession and then bettered that with a 3-pointer — USC's eighth — to nudge USC ahead 45-28 early in the second half. The Golden Gophers bit back with a 9-0 rally to chip away at USC's lead and make it an eight-point game with 6:00 on the clock. The Trojans responded care of another fuse lit by Iriafen. She scored seven straight for the Trojans, and then Avery Howell drained back-to-back threes to answer a single Minnesota score, lifting USC ahead 58-41 two minutes later. Heckel served up a three-point play soon after, and USC gripped a 20-point lead with 3:25 on the clock. Minnesota wrapped a couple late threes around a Watkins bucket, and it was a 64-49 USC lead entering the fourth. The Golden Gophers found a groove again and claimed the first nine points of the quarter to get the margin down to six before Howell hit another three for the Trojan cause and got the score to 67-58. Watkins unleashed seven straight points all her own soon after a Minnesota bucket, and USC was up 74-60 as the teams entered the final four minutes of play. More contributions from Smith, Iriafen and Watkins would help wrap things up in a final 82-69 USC decision for its 15th straight victory.
NEXT:
USC sets off on another Big Ten road trip next, heading to visit Iowa in Iowa City for the first time in a 12:30 p.m. CT meeting on Sunday (Feb. 2). From there, the Trojans travel to Wisconsin to face the Badgers at 6:30 p.m. CT on Feb. 5.
NOTABLE:
- USC's 19-1 start to the season is its best since the 1981-82 season, the best start in program history. Its 9-0 start in conference play is its best since the 1993-94 season.
- USC is now on a 15-game win streak, which is its longest since the 1982-83 season.
- With 23 points and 11 rebounds, GS Kiki Iriafen recorded her seventh double-double of the season.
- Iriafen tied her career high with two 3-pointers made.
- With 20 points and 11 rebounds, SO JuJu Watkins recorded her fourth double-double of the season.
- This is the second time this season that Iriafen and Watkins have recorded double-doubles in the same game – last time was vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 4.
- Watkins has scored in double digits in all 20 games this season.
- Watkins has now scored 20 or more points in 45 of her 54 career games at USC.
- With one 3-pointer made, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC's last 15 games.
- With one block, Watkins has recorded at least one block in ten straight games.
- With two steals tonight, FR Kennedy Smith has recorded at least one steal in 11 of 13 games played.
- FR Avery Howell and Smith tied their career highs for blocks with two each.
- With four 3-pointers made, Howell tied her career high.
- FR Kayleigh Heckel tied her season high for assists with four.
- This is the ninth time this season that the Trojans have recorded 20+ assists.
- With this win, USC moves to 16-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
- USC is 17-0 when scoring 70 or more points and 16-0 when holding an opponent to under 70 points.
- SR Rayah Marshall did not play due to injury; SR Clarice Akunwafo made her first start of the season tonight.
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
