Subscribe
Follow Us
The USC women's basketball team is starting to round into form with a new-look route run 2024-25 as it looks to compete for a Big Ten title in its first year in the conference and eventually a national championship. The Trojans got off on the right foot in conference play on Saturday with a 66-53 win over Oregon in Eugene.
On Tuesday night, USC went back to non-conference play and looked as impressive as ever. The Trojans dominated Fresno State in Los Angeles, never looking back in an 89-40 win. The team's two stars, JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, combined to score 45 points and outscored the entire Bulldogs roster on their own.
Despite not having her best shooting night, Watkins still scored 21 points in the win. She finished the game 6-for-16 from the field and just 1-for-5 from 3-point range with seven rebounds and five assists. Iriafen dominated on the interior, finishing with 24 points on 7-for-11 shooting and adding 12 rebounds. The former Stanford star also went 10-for-11 at the free throw line.
USC also suffocated Fresno State on the defensive end of the floor. The Trojans held their overmatched opponents to just 27.1% shooting on the night and held the Bulldogs to just 14 total points across the second and third quarters.
USC rounding into form before UConn clash
USC has been tested in non-conference play early in the 2024-25 season, picking up a win against Ole Miss before losing a close battle at home against Notre Dame. Now, the Trojans have had a couple of easier matchups as they look to gel with some of the new additions on their roster.
After Tuesday's thrashing of Fresno State, USC will have one more tune-up game against Elon on Sunday before it prepares for one of the biggest games of the season. On Dec. 21, USC will head across the country for a date with Paige Bueckers and No. 2 UConn.
USC-UConn is one of the most highly-anticipated matchups in all of college basketball this season and features the game's two biggest stars in Bueckers and JuJu Watkins. The winner will have the inside track to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and while both may earn that nomination in the end, the winner of this blockbuster tilt will have the upper hand.
USC has really come along since that loss to Notre Dame back on Nov. 23. The Trojans have won their last five games by a total of 176 points and the only game of the bunch that was closer than 30 points was the road conference win against Oregon. They are starting to play their best basketball as they get into the middle of the season.
USC will also be looking for some revenge after UConn narrowly defeated them in last season's Elite Eight. The Huskies are still undefeated at 8-0 and will be looking to defend their status as one of the true title contenders in the sport. USC will be trying to prove that this talented roster can beat the best of the best.
