CORVALLIS, ORE. - February 18th, 2024
Written by USCTrojans.com
No. 10 USC never trailed in a tough road battle at No. 11 Oregon State, fending off the Beavers for a 58-50 win in Corvallis. That topped off the Trojans' first road sweep of the Oregon schools since 2012-13, and improved to 20-4 overall and to 10-4 in Pac-12 play. With its six-game win streak snapped by USC, Oregon State goes to 32-4, 20-4.
Both teams had a tough time finding their scoring touch in the first half. USC held a 26-20 lead at halftime on 27-percent shooting from the floor, just behind Oregon State's 27.6 percent effort, while the Trojans had a 25-20 advantage on the boards. USC's JuJu Watkins was a rebound away from a double-double at the break with 12 points and nine boards. USS continued to own the boards, hauling in a season-high 51 rebounds to overcome OSU's 36 rebounds. The Trojans wrapped up the game shooting 31.0 percent from the floor, just behind OSU's 32.8 percent.
Watkins (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Rayah Marshall (11 points, 17 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles for the Trojan cause, with McKenzie Forbes scoring 13 for USC - all in the second half. Oregon State was led by Timea Gardiner's game-high 22 points -also all scored in the second half.
Neither team could hit in the opening stretch before JuJu Watkins converted a three-point play for the Trojans at 7:24. Rayah Marshall replicated that effort on USC's next possession to give the Trojans a 6-0 lead. The Beavers broke through with a 3-pointer at 6:30. USC's defense stayed interruptive as OSU came up empty for a five-minute stretch while USC got a bucket from Kaitlyn Davis and threes from Taylor Bigby and Watkins to build a 14-3 lead. The Beavers managed back-to-back buckets in the last 1:20, and it was a 14-8 USC lead after 10 minutes of action. Scoring was sluggish on both ends in the next five minutes, and USC gripped a 17-12 advantage at the midpoint of the second. The teams traded buckets from there, and then Watkins landed a 3-pointer in the final minute to tug the Trojans to a 26-20 halftime lead.
Rayah Marshall delivered the first four points of the third for the Trojans, and Padilla punched up a floater to push USC ahead 32-20. After the Beavers buried a three, McKenzie Forbes and Kaitlyn Davis netted back-to-back buckets for the Trojans to build a 38-25 lead midway through the fourth. A tip-in from Marshall was followed by a successful trip to the stripe from Watkins minutes later, and USC would wind up ahead 44-32 entering the fourth. The Beavers bit into USC's lead to draw within six with 6:40 on the clock, only to see Forbes keep her 3-point streak alive and Watkins deliver in the paint to make it a 51-40 USC lead with 5:45 remaining in the fourth. Again OSU made some moves, making a 7-2 run around a putback from Forbes to make it a 53-47 margin with 1:29 remaining. Marshall struck again down low to edge USC ahead 55-47 entering the final minute. The Beavers landed a 3-pointer with 40 ticks to go to make it 55-50. Forced to foul, OSU sent Davis and then Forbes to the stripe around a missed 3-point attempt by the Beavers, and USC was up 58-50 with six seconds left. That margin held, and the Trojans rolled on through to their first road sweep of the Oregon schools since 2012-13.
NEXT:
USC gets back to Los Angeles for its final Pac-12 home games of the season, setting up for rematches against No. 8 Colorado and No. 22 Utah at Galen Center. The Trojans host the Buffs at 7 p.m on Friday (Feb. 23) before taking on the Utes at 12 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 25). USC will celebrate its six graduating Women of Troy at Sunday's game, honoring Kaitlyn Davis, McKenzie Forbes, Roxane Makolo, India Otto, Kayla Padilla and Kayla Williams.
NOTABLE:
- USC's wins at Oregon (88-51) and Oregon State (58-50) secured the Trojans' first road sweep of the Oregon schools since 2012-13.
- With 18 points today, FR JuJu Watkins now ranks No. 10 all-time in single-season scoring with 633 points - passing past single-season efforts from Cynthia Cooper (1985-86), Tina Thompson (1995-96), Paula McGee (1982-83) and Lisa Leslie (1996-97)
- With 17 rebounds today, JR Rayah Marshall now ranks No. 11 all-time in career rebounds with 749 boards.
- With 11 rebounds today, Watkins recorded her fifth double-double of the season.
- Watkins has led USC in scoring in 22 of the 23 games she's played as a Trojan.
- With 11 points and 17 rebounds today, Marshall recorded her eight double-double of the season and 28th of her career.
- With one 3-pointers made tonight, GS McKenzie Forbes has hit at least one three in the past 22 games.
- RS SO Taylor Bigby has now hit at least one 3-pointer in the past five games.
- USC recorded a season-high 51 rebounds.
- USC is now 14-0 when outrebounding its opponents this season.