KiKi Iriafen and JuJu Watkins scored 22 points apiece, celebrating Senior Day with a sweet start to the week to begin sending off five Seniors of No. 4 USC’s team in their second to last regular season game by winning over the No. 25 Illinois,76-66, in their first-ever meeting on Sunday at Galen Center. Watkins and Iriafen double-figure scoring was no surprise for the dynamic duo have done it all season, but senior Rayah Marshall gave a breakout performance and posted another career double-double to secure her team with another Big 10 victory improving to 15-1 in their conference, 25-2 overall as Illinois falls to
21-7,11-6.
“For Rayah doing nothing out of character, this is what we call Juicy Rayah,” USC’s coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “12 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four steals, this is what was the catalyst for us to keep going,”
Three other Seniors besides Iriafen and Marshall—Talia Von Oelhoffen, Clarice Akunwafo, and Dominique Darius also received their flowers during pregame for being a part of Coach Gottlieb’s plan to return to USC women’s basketball program from the bottom when she came 4 years ago to now at the top of their newly joined conference within their first year.
“Illinois is a really good team, and I thought the difference was our energy level,” Gottlieb said. “Led by Rayah and KiKi, when we needed to, we just turned up our juice.”
Gottlieb marked this Senior class as good because “everyone likes them and feeds off them.” Playing in their last regular season home game, an energized crowd fed off and liked how this game started with USC’s high-efficiency 1st quarter shooting while both teams hit multiple threes in the first quarter to keep the scoring margin close.
“Kiki has really over the last couple of weeks found her stride and confidence with her level of upgradability,” coach Gottlieb said,
By the 2nd quarter, both teams went ice cold from shooting, scoring only 14 points in the period. Trojans shot 51.6 percent for the 1st half while shooting 67 percent in the first quarter and Illinois not trailing far, shot 48.4 percent. The Women of Troy and Fighting Illini were almost head to head in rebounding, but it was USC’s first half-defensive effort consisting of five blocks, 4 steals, and Illini’s 7 turnovers that advantaged USC with a 4-point lead, 40-36, into halftime.
The 1st and 3rd quarters made the difference for USC as Illinois was able to match them in scoring the 2nd and 4th. Even with no depth and only playing seven players, 3 of them playing the entire game, Illinois was able still to keep even on the boards, at 38 apiece, while shooting 41.5 percent behind USC’s 42.4 percent for the game.
Fifth-year Senior guard, Genesis Bryant, finished with 22 points, shooting 50 percent from threes, and 100 percent from the free throw line. Freshman Kendall Boston added 18 points and 16 rebounds to go along with five assists while Freshman Berry Wallace contributed 14 points.
Both teams were exchanging baskets in the beginning with multiple ties and lead changes. Illinois eventually went ahead off a three-point play, prompting USC to call a timeout then hit back with a poised top-of-the-key 3-pointer from freshman Kennedy Smith followed by Watkins and Iriafen grinding out baskets to go on a 9-0 run. Illinois refusing to quit or lay down, fought back with a defensive stop and bucket.
Then freshman Avery Howell checked in and immediately provided instant offense with a triple. Next Watkins came afterward with her three-pointer to stretch the lead, to 24-15.
Illinois hit a shot at the buzzer of the first quarter after holding USC to score only 2 points in the last two minutes, while ending the first quarter, USC 26 to 22.
Starting the second, like they started the first with exchanging baskets before Smith hit an off-the-backboard three-pointer to rally up her team on a 7-0 USC run, pushing the lead back up 37-26.
Once again, Illinois ended the second like the first with their own run to close the half only down by 4, 40-36.
Even though Illinois was the team with only a 7-girl rotation, it was USC playing the opposite of how they started the game with hot shooting, instead missing their first seven shot attempts allowing Illinois to reach for a second wind and tie the score at 40 with only two minutes passing in the quarter. Then Illinois
seized a quick lead after USC free throw before relinquishing it back to them “I think this is what we signed up for as student-athletes. We want this limelight and attention in positive
way,” Marshall said.
Marshall fueled a 6-0 USC run, scoring back-to-back buckets from a steal of her own before Watkins hit a go-ahead basket midway in the 3rd for a 47-42 score.
“Last year she [Rayah] embraced a generational talent and this year getting KiKi she embraced her to help get this program on another level, “ Coach Gottlieb said about Marshall. “1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds is very impressive but I think what I’ll remember about her most is getting this program to another level.”
USC went on a 6-0 run once regaining the lead followed by an Illinois’ score. Then Iriafen continued with making another midrange jumper like the ones that she hit throughout the game in the final minute to take her team’s lead back up to double-digits, 57-47 as the third quarter came to an end.
Freshmen Kayleigh Heckel came off the bench to give USC some unmatched energy for a seemingly fatigued Illinois small-depth team, with some denial passing that led to a steal followed by a top of the key 3 pointer to give her team a 66-52 lead close to midway through the 4th. Illinois made seven 3-pointers for the game, landing three in just over two minutes to bring the margin to 74-66 with close to 1:00 remaining on the clock.
In the final minute, Watkins made her way to the free throw line putting icing on the cake while celebratory substitutions for Women of Troy Senior Dominique Darius and a couple of freshmen who often don’t get minutes in the game lined up around the free throw line as they watched their sophomore superstar teammate make both of her free throws to button up the game at 76-66, USC topping Illinois.
“I’m excited to get this win for our Seniors, now moving forward every game is like a championship,” coach Gottlieb said. “The stakes are higher.”
USC’s final regular-season matchup will be against crosstown rivalry UCLA perhaps a vengeance game for them since Women of Troy claimed the first one at their home. This game will be at Pauley Pavilion, on Saturday, 6 pm.
