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After No. 7 USC fell to Iowa 76-69 last Sunday, the question was how would the Trojans respond.
We got the answer: They’ve won back-to-back games and were dominant in their most recent victory, blowing out Wisconsin on Thursday before doing the same to No. 8 Ohio State 84-63 on Saturday.
Against the Buckeyes, all the Trojans came to play. Three players had double-doubles, starting with Kiki Iriafen, who had 24 points and 13 rebounds. JuJu Watkins struggled from the field, going 5-for-21, but had 17 points and 10 boards, and Kennedy Smith scored a lucky 13 and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Ohio State had a balanced attack, with four starters in double figures, but they struggled to score, shooting 29 percent from the field. Add a rebounding discrepancy of 62-30, and the picture becomes clear as to why Ohio State lost by nearly 20 points in this game.
How the Trojans dominated despite JuJu’s struggles
For a moment, things looked good for Ohio State.
A Taylor Thierry basket, followed by a Cotie McMahon 3-pointer and an Ajae Petty layup had them leading 7-2 in the opening minutes. USC responded with an aggressive Iriafen getting to the line and dishing out a dime to Kayleigh Heckel to gain the lead for the first time in the contest. Iriafen scored the Trojans’ last basket of the first, ending the quarter with six points to help USC lead 14-11.
In the second quarter, Ohio State matched USC point for point in the opening minutes. Slowly but surely, however, the Trojans continued to extend their lead. Rayah Marshall was key in this period, blocking, rebounding and scoring a basket to help keep USC in the lead. In the final two minutes, both teams were making their living on the charity stripe, and at the half, USC was ahead 34-26.
Watkins had a rough first half, and the second wasn’t much better. She struggled massively in the third quarter. Here is the play-by-play of her quarter:
Missed 3-pointer
Missed jumper
1-for-2 on free throws
Missed 3-pointer
Made basket
Made free throw
Made jumper
Luckily, four other Trojans were on the floor, and they not only helped keep USC afloat, but also extended the lead. USC ended the quarter on an 11-5 run and led by 14.
Lindsay Gottlieb on USC’s offensive heft despite JuJu Watkins’ shooting struggles tonight:
“I don’t think we were in a position last year where we could have won games without her scoring as much as she had to score, and obviously we’re built a little differently this year.” pic.twitter.com/RXcrNQcb3b
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) February 9, 2025
Iriafen kept the run going, scoring the first points in the final frame. Ohio State didn’t make a field goal until the 6:46 mark when Jaloni Cambridge hit on a jumper. With Talia von Oelhoffen and Smith knocking down 3s for USC and Watkins hitting her free throws, the Trojan lead ballooned to 24 with a little over two minutes left to play.
Ohio State didn’t make another field goal the rest of the way, and USC found a way to win comfortably even with their biggest star playing below her normal level.
Key takeaways
Watkins will be okay, but she’s had a lot of rough games lately. Her shot isn’t there, she’s turning the ball over more and just seems uncomfortable out there. Still, USC is now 21-2, and this is still a team game.
Juju Watkins will be fine. It’s a combo of things hurting her right now: 1. Shot selection at times. 2. Different aggressive defensive schemes opponents throw at her. 3. Offensive system needs tweaks for her to get easier looks.
— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) February 9, 2025
This is why you bring in seniors like Iriafen and von Oelhoffen to bolster the roster. This isn’t Watkins and friends. It’s the USC Trojans; they are formidable as a team. However, if they want to win the national title, they’ll need Watkins to be her best and then some.
There is no rest for the weary; USC has the biggest challenge of their season on Thursday, Feb. 13 when they take on the No. 1 UCLA Bruins at home (10 p.m. ET, Peacock).
