Sophomore Sensation JuJu Watkins led USC with 22 points as the Trojans starting five scored all 73 points and all five scored in double-figures. Kennedy Smith and Kiki Iriafen scored 14 points apiece. Rayah Marshall had double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds along with 2 blocks for her 16th consecutive game with a block and Talia van Oelhoffen added 10 points. The Trojans finished 23-59 from the field for 59%, 6-18 from three range for 33% and 21-24 from the free throw line for 87%. The Trojans pulled down 38 rebounds, dished out 11 assists, 11 steals, 3 blocks, 28 points in the paint and committed 12 turnovers.
Watkins finished the game 6-16 from the field, 2-4 from three-point range and 8-10 from the free throw line. The Sophomore from Los Angeles had 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover and committed two fouls. Chloe Moore-McNeil had the assignment on JuJu Watkins and held her to 2 field goals and 8 total points in the first half. Watkins scored 14 points in the second half including a three at the buzzer to end the third quarter. Lexus Bargesser also defended Watkins and Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren praised both of them for their defensive effort. “JuJu had 22 points but we made her work like crazy.” Moren said after the game.
Sydney Parrish led Indiana with 16 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of season. Chloe Moore-McNeil added 13 points along with 10 points apiece from Karoline Striplin and Yarden Garzon. Moore-McNeil scored her 1,000th career point becoming the 32nd member of the 1,000-point club. The Hoosiers finished 21-56 from the field for 37%, 8-29 from three-point range for 27% and 16-22 from the field for 72%. Indiana pulled down 35 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, 6 steals, no blocks, 16 points in the paint, 12 bench points and committed 15 turnovers. Teri Moren knows that “Our room for error’s very small. We’ve gotta be so good on so many levels.” As the Hoosiers were not able to close this one out and “We just gotta hit shots. It’s that easy.” Moren added. Karoline Striplin got her first career start as a Hoosier replacing Lilly Meister and Moren said that Striplin will remain in the starting lineup going forward.
USC jumped out to 9-2 lead and Indiana responded with 17-5 run to end the first quarter leading 19-11. Indiana jumped out a 6-0 start to the second quarter to lead 25-11 with 9:07 left in the second quarter. The Trojans erased the 11-point deficit outscoring the Hoosiers 27-7 as the Trojans went into the locker room leading 38-32. Indiana outscored USC 18-13 in the third quarter as JuJu Watkins buried a deep three to beat the 3rd quarter buzzer as the Trojans led 51-50 going into the final ten minutes. USC outscored Indiana 22-16 in the fourth quarter as there 8 lead changes and three times throughout the game.
Fans had this one circled on the calendar since the schedule came out before the season and Coach Moren was pleased with the fan support. “Really great our fans showed up and supported not just us, but women’s basketball today” and USC Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb who was excited to make her first trip to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall said it lived up to expectations of what she expected. “What an incredible atmosphere. It was everything I heard it would be.” Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game and was joined by her 2-year-old daughter Reese who told the assembled media that USC won the game while sitting on her mom’s lap at the podium and smiling. USC’s Rayah Marshall said she never experienced a crowd like this in the Pac-12, and it was difficult to communicate at times.
Indiana will head to the Pacific Northwest to take on Oregon Friday and Washington Next Tuesday and the Hoosiers will leave a day earlier to get used to the time change as they make their one trip out west during the season and Trojans will stay in Indiana and travel to Purdue on Wednesday. USC has won all 8 games away from the Galen Center this year
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