No. 4 USC dominates Penn State in game that holds deeper significance for Trojans
The USC women’s basketball game against Penn State at Galen Center on Sunday night provided a much-needed escape for the 5,881 fans in attendance.
Playing in its first game since wildfires devastated parts of L.A., No. 4 USC defeated Penn State 95-73 in a game that held special meaning for USC’s players and coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
“So many people have lost so much, and we, 100%, recognize that sports and athletics are not bigger than those real-world things,” Gottlieb said. “At the same time, I think what is incredibly important at this time is community.”
The fans were treated to a near-flawless performance from JuJu Watkins, who led the Trojans with 35 points and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
Joyce Bell Limbrick was the highest-ranking female and Black official in USC’s athletic administration. But in a lawsuit, Bell Limbrick says that her once-promising career was irreparably changed.
“I see it as a great opportunity to have fun, the vibes are kind of down here in L.A.,” Watkins said. “Our goal was to put on a show and entertain people.”
The L.A. wildfires made it difficult to approach the game without a heavy heart — especially for Watkins, an L.A. native for whom the fires hit close to home.
“This week has been hard for L.A., for me,” Watkins said. “Just hearing about the stories, people I know were affected by it as well. We’ve been doing what we can to stay locked in and have as much positivity as possible.”
Watkins was locked in, eclipsing the 30-point mark for the 19th time in her Trojans career while shooting 13 for 15 from the field. She attacked the rim without hesitation, absorbing contact and finishing with 16 points in the paint while going seven for nine from the free-throw line.
Her defensive effort embodied the team’s goal as she dove for loose balls, battled for rebounds and relentlessly swiped for steals. She also finished with five steals and three blocks.
Early on, Penn State kept the score close, holding USC’s lead to single digits for much of the first half. However, the Trojans’ explosive performance in the final four minutes, led by Watkins, helped USC (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten) pull away to its 12th consecutive win.
Leading 38-31, USC unleashed an 18-0 run, with Watkins contributing 10 points. She capped the surge with a three-point play, stealing the ball before drawing a foul on a fast-break layup. She closed the half shooting eight for eight from the field.
“That run in the second quarter was impressive,” Gottlieb said. “We know we have the ability to do that, and then it’s about understanding our power to continue doing that, possession after possession.”
Not to be overshadowed, Kiki Iriafen, the other half of the Trojans’ dynamic duo, showcased her scoring prowess with an impressive midrange game. Most of her 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting came from midrange jump shots, cementing her role as the team’s second-leading scorer.
Iriafen and Watkins have scored in double digits in every game this season.
“Kiki and JuJu were just unbelievable,” Gottlieb said. “They were both kind of hot on the same night.”
Iriafen did her best to match Watkins’ level of play, saying her teammate “is infectious with the way she plays.”
Like Watkins, Iriafen — an L.A. native — felt the impact of the fires close to home.
“I’m from the [San Fernando] Valley, so [with] the Valley fires, my family hasn’t been directly impacted,” Iriafen said. “But, indirectly, a lot of people close to me have lost their homes or had to evacuate.”
Another key contributor was Rayah Marshall. Though her impact didn’t stand out on the stat sheet — finishing with just two points and three rebounds — her effort played a pivotal role.
Marshall faced the daunting task of guarding the Penn State leading scorer Gracie Merkle, who averaged 16.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game entering Sunday.
At 6-foot-6, Merkle held a significant size advantage over Marshall. USC’s senior center, one of the Big Ten’s top-10 scorers and rebounders, rose to the challenge, using her length and agility to limit Merkle to 13 points and five rebounds.
Although the Trojans limited Merkle, Penn State found success in the paint, outscoring USC 44-38. Despite this effort, it struggled to build momentum, with the Trojans turning 21 Penn State turnovers into 27 points.
The Trojans’ assist-to-turnover ratio compared to Penn State’s was nearly 2 to 1 (21-11). “If we’re two-to-one in the assist-to-turnover ratio, we’re going to win a lot of games,” Gottlieb said.
“We believe we can score if we don’t give the ball back to the other team,” she added.
After USC’s run to close the first half, Penn State (9-8, 0-6) never recovered, with the Trojans leading by as much as 27 points.
The Trojans will now have to wait until Sunday, Jan. 19, for their next game, a road matchup at Indiana.
USC was initially scheduled to face Northwestern at home on Wednesday, but the game was postponed because of Northwestern’s decision not to travel to L.A. because of the ongoing wildfires.
As the Trojans shift their focus, they remain hopeful the city will recover and move forward.
“I would say this will pass,” Watkins said. “The biggest thing for us and for the community is just to have faith and hope that things will get better.”
There have been at least 24 deaths and more than 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed in the L.A.-area fires. After a day of progress in containing the Eaton and Palisades fires, crews are bracing for several days of winds that could hamper efforts to contain the firestorms.
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