Los Angeles, CA — The No. 4 USC women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to 15 games with an 82-69 victory over Minnesota at the Galen Center. Trojans Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins each recorded double-doubles to help propel USC to its 19th win of the season, moving the team to 19-1 overall and a perfect 9-0 in Big Ten play. This marks USC’s best start since the 1981-82 season.
The Trojans relied on their 3-point shooting in the first half, hitting 7-of-17 from beyond the arc despite struggling with their overall shooting, finishing the first 20 minutes at 35.9%. Minnesota shot slightly better at 36.4%, but their lone 3-pointer in the opening period left them trailing 40-28 at halftime.
USC also had the edge on the boards, 25-21, with contributions from multiple players, as eight Trojans scored before the break. The second half saw USC improve offensively, finishing with a shooting percentage of 45.5% while Minnesota ended at 41.2%. USC also maintained a strong rebounding presence, outworking the Golden Gophers 42-35.
Iriafen was a standout, tallying 23 points and 11 rebounds, marking her seventh double-double of the season. Watkins added 20 points and 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the year. Avery Howell also made an impact, contributing 12 points, including four 3-pointers. Minnesota was led by Sophie Hart (18 points), Mallory Heyer (17 points), and Amaya Battle (14 points). Heyer was the only Golden Gopher to hit from beyond the arc, making all five of the team’s 3-pointers.
USC came out strong, starting the game with a 6-0 run, thanks in part to Kennedy Smith’s contributions on both ends of the floor. Iriafen then took over, scoring nine straight points, including a three-point play and back-to-back 3-pointers, pushing USC’s lead to 18-3 with just under five minutes left in the first quarter.
Minnesota responded with an 8-0 run, cutting USC’s lead to 22-15, but USC closed the period with a three-pointer from Talia von Oelhoffen, ending the first quarter up 25-15.
The Trojans continued to build momentum in the second quarter, as Malia Samuels and Howell each hit a 3-pointer, giving USC a 39-26 advantage before the halftime buzzer sounded.
Watkins found her rhythm in the second half, hitting a 3-pointer early on to extend USC’s lead to 45-28. Minnesota mounted a brief challenge with a 9-0 run, closing the gap to eight points, but USC quickly regained control. Iriafen sparked the response with seven straight points, and Howell added two more 3-pointers, helping USC push its lead to 58-41 midway through the third quarter. By the end of the period, USC led 64-49.
Minnesota fought back in the fourth quarter, scoring the first nine points of the period to narrow the margin to six. But Howell answered with another 3-pointer, and Watkins took over, scoring seven consecutive points to restore USC’s lead to 74-60. The Trojans held off the Gophers’ late push to secure the 82-69 victory, improving to 19-1 on the season.
Next Up: USC heads out for a pair of Big Ten road games, beginning with a matchup against Iowa on Sunday, February 2, at 12:30 p.m. CT. The Trojans will then travel to Wisconsin to face the Badgers on February 5 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
