Sole possession of second place in the Big Ten was on the line Saturday night at Galen Center.
The No. 7 USC Trojans hosted the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes as the two teams faced off for the first time as conference rivals. In the end, it was the Trojans who came away with a gritty 84-63 win.
“We know how good Ohio State is and the implications that were on the line,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “We felt like this game would be about toughness, and I think we answered that call.”
It was a physical contest from the opening tip as the Trojans struggled to establish a rhythm on the offensive side of the ball. USC found themselves down 7-2 early as turnovers plagued the Trojans’ offense in the game’s opening minutes.
After going more than half of the first quarter without a field goal, freshman guard Kennedy Smith knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game at seven and give the Trojans some momentum. Freshman guard Avery Howell followed Smith’s 3-pointer with one of her own to give USC its first lead of the game at 10-9.
Smith has gotten more comfortable with her role in USC’s offense as she progresses through her first year as a Trojan. Smith finished with 13 points and made all three of her 3-point attempts.
“I think my versatility and being able to guard one through five has helped me carve out my role,” Smith said. “I just come in and do whatever I can offensively or defensively to help set the tone.”
The Trojans took a three-point lead into the second quarter as both teams’ physical defensive play proved to be critical. Ohio State’s full press gave the Trojans’ ball handlers trouble, including sophomore guard JuJu Watkins. Watkins was unable to score a basket in the period and struggled for the entire first half as she missed all eight of her shot attempts.
“Everyone’s got her back,” Gottlieb said. “The gravity that she draws and attracts opens things up for other people and they’re capable of making plays and still getting her in her spots.”
In the second quarter, a majority of the Trojans’ offensive production came at the rim. Graduate forward Kiki Iriafen and senior forward Rayah Marshall both opened the quarter with layups to give the Trojans a five-point lead at 18-13.
Throughout the rest of the first half, the Trojans only made one 3-pointer, courtesy of Smith on an assist from Iriafen. The Trojans took what the Buckeyes’ defense gave them in the second quarter as 17 out of USC’s 20 points scored were in the paint or at the free-throw line.
Despite Watkins’ struggles, multiple players for the Trojans stepped up in the second quarter to ensure USC would take a 34-26 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Trojans led despite only shooting 32% from the field as a team and a mere four-point contribution from Watkins. However, the Trojans were able to get to the charity stripe and convert more often than the Buckeyes, as USC got 14 free-throw attempts compared to just three for Ohio State.
“I think our halfcourt defense was great, along with our transition defense,” Iriafen said. “We were all sprinting back and Ohio State is a great team so we didn’t want them to capitalize on our turnovers.”
Both teams brought the same physicality to the second half, making it hard for the Trojans to pull away from Ohio State in the early goings of the third quarter. Iriafen opened the frame by scoring USC’s first six points as the Trojans led 40-30 with just over seven minutes left. During the period, Watkins was also able to find her groove offensively as she scored her first basket with 2:02 left in the quarter. Watkins was fouled in the process and converted the free throw.
From there, the Trojans’ lead remained at double digits as USC took a 59-45 lead into the fourth quarter. USC closed the game on a 25-18 run and earned a 21-point victory. With Watkins finishing the game with 17 points on just 5-for-21 shooting, it took a team effort to defeat Ohio State. Six other Trojans combined for 67 of USC’s 84 points with Iriafen leading the way with a 24-point, 13-rebound double-double.
In addition to the Trojans’ scoring by committee, USC was able to dominate Ohio State on the glass, winning the battle of the boards 62-30. Three players had double-digit rebounding numbers for the Trojans while the Buckeyes had no players with more than five.
“One of our keys to the game in scout today was dominating the boards,” Iriafen said. “That was something that was on my mind and we have great and versatile players.”
The Trojans will close out their homestand with their biggest test of the season, a matchup against the undefeated and top-ranked UCLA Bruins on Thursday.