Freshmen come up big as No. 4 USC gets another top-10 win over No. 8 Maryland
The No. 4 USC Trojans posted their 11-straight win on Wednesday night as they beat No. 8 Maryland on the road, 79-74. It’s the second road win over a top-10 team in their past five games, having beaten then-No. 4 UConn on Dec. 21. That five-game stretch also includes a home win against then-No. 23 Michigan.
Against the Terps, JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen led the way with 21 points apiece, but it was a full team effort that got this one done, especially late.
With 5:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, Maryland pushed its lead to 68-61. But USC true freshman Kennedy Smith answered with a 7-0 run all on her own. She hit a layup, grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in, then hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 68 with 3:46 remaining.
Iriafien made one of the game’s biggest plays with a three-point play with just 1:28 remaining to give the Trojans a 75-72 lead they wouldn’t give up. But true freshman Avery Howell hit the dagger free throws with just 13 seconds remaining to put the Trojans’ lead to 77-72.
Smith finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Howell had 10 points. Fellow freshman Kayleigh Heckel had 10 points, three rebounds and a game-high four assists.
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USC played without starting guard Talia von Oelhoffen, who missed the game due to injury. Sophomore Malia Samuels drew the start but Heckel tied her season high in minutes played and assists.
Watkins didn’t have her best game of the season. She turned the ball over eight times, needed 19 shots from the floor to score 21 points and fouled out of the game late. But the Trojans hit 22-of-26 free throws, held Maryland to just 2-of-14 from three-point range and allowed just six points over the final 5:16 of the game, with two of those coming in the final seconds with the game no longer in doubt.
Next up for the No. 4 Trojans is a home game against Penn State on Sunday, Jan. 12. The Nittany Lions are 9-6 this season and 0-4 in conference. They’ll take on Oregon tonight before heading out for the Big Ten’s toughest road trip at No. 4 USC and No. 1 UCLA.
