Endyia Rogers Scores 30 As USC Women Beat Arizona State 65-57

BOX SCORE (PDF) | HIGHLIGHTS | Boxscore

LOS ANGELES — The USC women's basketball team crafted a hefty first-half lead and fended off visiting Arizona State the rest of the way to haul in a 65-57 win over the Sun Devils today at Galen Center. USC's Endyia Rogers had 20 points by halftime to help the Trojan cause, and USC snapped a run of four losses to ASU with today's Pac-12 victory. USC improves to 7-7 overall and to 5-6 in Pac-12 play with the victory, while ASU goes to 8-6, 4-6.

USC nailed eight 3 pointers in the first half and got 20 first-half points from Endyia Rogers to put the Sun Devils on their heels in the first 20 minutes of action. USC was shooting 56 percent from the floor to ASU's 25 percent to help the Trojans build out a 40-23 lead by halftime. ASU would reel the Trojans in to within five points during the fourth, but that's as close as the Sun Devils would get thanks in part to a 6-for-6 free-throw effort from Endyia Rogers in the final 2:10. She'd close things out with a career-high 30 points for the Trojans, who finished up shooting 45 percent from the floor while ASU wrapped at 35 percent. USC wouldn't hit a three in the second half, and ASU knocked down four to help close the gap. The Sun Devils won the battle of the boards today 34-29

Along with Rogers' career-high-tying 30 points, USC had Shalexxus Aaron finish in double digits with 11 points on the day. ASU was led by Jadden Simmons' 16 points with Taya Hanson adding 12 points. Those two also combined to account for all seven of ASU's 3-pointers today. 

Shalexxus Aaron was 3-for-3 from 3-point range and Endyia Rogers landed a buzzer-beater to help USC to a 21-11 lead after 10 minutes of play. The Trojans had mounted a 9-0 run to take the lead from the Sun Devils, then added a bucket from Jordyn Jenkins and that bomb from Rogers to close out the first frame. Rogers kicked off the second quarter in similar fashion, brandishing back-to-back 3-pointers to get herself to double digits and make it a 27-11 USC advantage. The Trojans kept firing, as Alissa Pili punched up a finish in the paint and Desiree Caldwell nailed a three next, making it a 16-0 USC run across the first and second quarters and making it a 31-11 USC lead. ASU had made only two baskets from the floor in the second quarter until a 3-pointer fell late for the Sun Devils to wrap the first half with USC gripping a 40-23 lead. 

ASU opened the second half with seven straight points before Jenkins snapped the run to get the score to 42-30 USC at 6:30. USC would come up empty from 3-point range in the third while the Sun Devils landed a pair to help ASU carve down the Trojans' advantage. ASU scored the final five points of the third to make it 50-42 Trojans entering the fourth. Two successful trips to the stripe by USC pulled the Trojans to 58-47 lead with 3:45 on the clock. ASU answered with a 3-pointer soon after, but Rogers coolly planted a pair of free throws next to get it to 60-50 USC entering the two-minute mark. ASU hit a bucket and then followed up a USC miss with a three that made it a five-point margin with 1:05 left. The teams traded free throws next, and after an additional toss from Pili USC was up 63-57 with 40 ticks to go. 

NOTABLE:
- SO G Endyia Rogers scored in double digits for the 10th straight game.
- Rogers' 30 points tied her career high, which was set also against Arizona State when the teams met in Tempe on this same date last year  -- Jan. 31, 2020.
- RS SO G Shalexxus Aaron went 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the first half.
- Aaron scored in double digits for the first time since a 17-point outing on March 3, 2019 in her last full season of competition.
- USC's win snapped a four-game losing skid vs. ASU.
- FR F Jordyn Jenkins made her first career start as a Trojan today.

NEXT:
The Trojans are lined up for a road trip next, heading north to visit Washington for a 7 p.m. clash on Friday (Feb. 5) in Seattle. From there, USC goes to Pullman for a 12 p.m. faceoff at Washington State on Sunday (Feb. 7).