No. 7 USC Dominates No. 8 Ohio State 84-63 in Key Conference Showdown

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — In a dominant performance, No. 7 Southern California (21-2, 11-1 Big Ten) defeated No. 8 Ohio State (20-3, 9-3 Big Ten) 84-63 on Saturday night at the Galen Center. The Trojans overcame a sluggish start and a cold shooting night from star guard JuJu Watkins to secure the victory.

Kiki Iriafen led the Trojans with 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Watkins, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, struggled early but finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Ohio State’s Taylor Thierry scored a team-high 14 points before fouling out late in the game.

The Trojans, who outrebounded the Buckeyes 62-30 and blocked 10 shots, pulled away in the third quarter with a 9-2 run. USC’s defense stifled Ohio State, which shot just 29% from the field and made only 2 of 11 three-point attempts.

‘We knew it would be a physical game, and our bigs really stepped up tonight,’ said USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb. ‘Kiki was phenomenal, and JuJu showed her mental toughness by contributing in other ways even when her shot wasn’t falling.’

The Buckeyes, who led early but struggled to maintain offensive consistency, will look to regroup as they host Minnesota on Thursday. USC, meanwhile, prepares for a highly anticipated matchup against No. 1 UCLA, also on Thursday.