This story was last updated at 1:24 p.m. PT with quotes.
While some USC fans were likely still sleeping in on Friday morning, Hoosier fans packed out Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, decidedly destroying the idea of a ‘neutral site.’ Despite a back-and-forth first half, the Trojans stuck it out and will take an 84-79 victory into tomorrow’s semifinal.
USC, which took the crown in last season’s final Pac-12 Tournament, earned a double bye and entered the day as the No. 1 seed. No. 9-seeded Indiana, on the other hand, battled it out with No. 8-seeded Oregon on Thursday for the chance to move on to the quarterfinal round and face the Trojans.
It was a physical game from the opening possession. Indiana looked dangerous early, feeding graduate guard Sydney Parrish underneath. Parrish, who received an honorable mention on the 2024-2025 All-Big Ten team, scored seven of the Hoosiers’ first 10 points to give them a one-point advantage over the Trojans early. However, she didn’t score again in the half, in part due to the dangerous duo of senior center Clarice Akunwafo and graduate forward Kiki Iriafen in the post.
“I’m really proud of our group,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “We found out right before the game that [senior center Rayah Marshall] couldn’t go, and everyone stepped up. I thought we played really hard.”
Turnovers plagued USC in the opening half due to Indiana’s physical style of defensive play. There were some bright spots offensively, though, like freshman guard Avery Howell’s two long-range threes, or a seemingly effortless steal and score from sophomore guard JuJu Watkins.
It was a slow second quarter with turnovers and sloppy play on both sides. USC’s offense started going stagnant toward the end of the half, and two straight scores from Indiana junior guard Shay Ciezki brought the Hoosiers within two at 31-29. The Trojans were not able to create separation and pull ahead and went into halftime with only a four-point lead.
Despite fighting through double and triple teams, Watkins kept her tempo, leading the Trojans with 16 points at the half. She was a force in the third, keeping USC afloat as it weathered an early offensive barrage from Indiana that saw the Hoosiers go up 42-40 with just under eight remaining in the period.
But, in the big moments, USC’s big stars remained unphased. The Hoosiers would get out in transition, and Watkins would stuff their shot attempt. Iriafen looked nearly unstoppable in the third, battling it out in the paint and splashing from mid-range.
Ball movement was key for the Trojans as they eventually settled into an offensive rhythm, pushing their lead back up to seven at 59-52. But it proved to be a game of runs, as Indiana quickly pulled back into the contest and cut the deficit to 59-57 to end the third.
“I think we had some lapses in the second and third where we kind of let them get hot and do what they wanted to do,” Iriafen said. “I think we fouled a lot, myself particularly, and that helped keep them in the game.”
It was a gritty, physical fourth quarter as the teams traded both buckets and fouls. It seemed like every time USC scored, Indiana was there to hit right back. Another three from Howell gave the Trojans a 69-62 advantage with just over six minutes remaining. A steal and transition layup from freshman guard Kennedy Smith gave USC even more insurance, but the Hoosiers proved difficult to shake.
Indiana pulled within three with 3:30 remaining in the game, and the crowd of Hoosier fans erupted. The Trojans took that personally – graduate guard Talia von Oelhoffen and Watkins drained threes on back-to-back possessions to put USC back on top 77-68.
Those buckets proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Indiana, who battled but were unable to overcome the deficit and the team’s growing foul trouble. USC cruised for the final few minutes of play with one of its more comfortable leads of the game.
Iriafen fouled out in the final minute, but left the game with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Watkins led the team in scoring with 31 points and also contributed 10 rebounds to earn a double-double. With the effort, Watkins moved into second all-time in 30-point games by a USC women’s basketball player, just four games shy of the record set by the legendary Cheryl Miller.
“I think it’s just a testament to the long nights in the gym and a team and a coach that really trusts in me,” Watkins said of the achievement. “I’m able to play to the best of my ability.”
The Trojans’ last battle against the Hoosiers was a hard-fought one, too. USC traveled to Bloomington for the first time in team history in January, and though the team came away with a 73-66 victory, the contest was a wire-to-wire battle.
Friday’s matchup brought more of the same, with five ties and nine lead changes. It wasn’t the dominant victory Trojan fans have come to expect from their team, but it got the job done.
“This is March basketball,” Gottlieb said. “I’ve told the team a number of times, we get no bonus points for being the regular season champs. We get no bonus points for what we did yesterday, but we can derive from the success we’ve had what it is that makes us good.”
The Trojans will play in tomorrow’s semifinal game at 3 p.m. eastern time, with tipoff slated for noon on the West Coast at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The squad will take on the winner of today’s matchup between No. 4-seeded Maryland and No. 5-seeded Michigan, two teams that USC has already beaten this season.