Los Angeles, CA – USC fired up on all cylinders led by their front court and freshmen, pulling away from Fresno St for a 89-40 win at the Galen Center.
Another in-state opponent home victory, USC continued to bounce back with a 4 game winning streak since that tough home loss to Notre Dame as Coach Lindsay Gottlieb utilized several defensive schemes and lineup rotations to prepare for more upcoming conference matchups.
“I thought we took some more good steps tonight. I thought we really shared the ball and tried to limit our turnovers,” Coach Gottlieb said. “We keep going in the right direction.”
Both teams started off slow, with Fresno able to take an early lead with a couple three-pointers while USC looked conservatively inside to get their frontcourt involved early, scoring their first basket by Senior forward Rayah Marshall. Freshman guard Kayleigh Heckel got into passing lanes for a couple easy fast break points, finishing with a game high 3 steals.
“She [Marshall] has been elite defensively, and it is so much more than her shot blocking,” Gottlieb explained. “In addition to leading us in assist-to-turnover ratio.”
Fresno St. never came close after opening the game with a couple of threes in the first quarter by Mia Jacobs and Mariah Elohim. The Bulldogs broke 30 in the 4th quarter, but USC had cleared their bench already after holding them to only six points in the third quarter, 72-26. Senior forward KiKi Iriafen led all scorers, enroute to her 4th consecutive double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 10-11 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard JuJu Watkins added 21 points and a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe.
USC sent a message early in the second half, drawing multiple fouls in the opening two minutes and using a 8-0 run to seize control of the game. The Women of Troy’s defensive pressure and free throw shooting, 22-of-25 (88%), eclipsed any chance of a comeback or desperate run for the Bulldogs.
“They were kind of running five around the perimeter and not attacking the basket as much and we like to get into the paint both with our guards penetrating and our bigs in there,” Gottleib stated.
Fresno racked up over 20 turnovers which was another key factor in their lopsided loss. “We did our work to get to the free throw line, but they also fouled JuJu on two three attempts, ” Gottleib added. “So I think it was more of a byproduct of the way that we play.”
The Bulldogs (7-4) were led by Jacob’s with 11 points and Holly Griffiths with 11, but they struggled with USC’ defensive intensity, committing 9 turnovers and the team being outrebounded 48-20. Fresno shot 27.1% from the field but close to 50% from three-point range.
For USC, Marshall added 13 rebounds to her 4 assist performance. Freshman forward Avery Howell had 9 points, while Heckel contributed 9 points and 1 block. Sophomore guard Malia Samuels continued improvement in her role off the bench, dishing 4 assists and scoring 4 points in 18 minutes.
“I think one thru 15, anyone on this team can get a bucket” Iriafen said of her confidence in her teammates’ effort. “I have so much confidence especially for my freshmen.”
Next up for the Women of Troy is back to back Sunday home games , beginning with a matchup against Elon University Phoenix, December 15. Then Women of Troy will host the to play their second conference opponent before the New Year.
