Rayah Marshall’s First Double-Double Paces USC Women’s Basketball To 77-45 Win Over Texas Southern

LOS ANGELES — The USC women's basketball team rode an early scoring surge to take control and maneuver toward a final 77-45 win over visiting Texas Southern. Along the way, freshman Rayah Marshal recorded her first double-double, in dominating the boards for 17 rebounds and providing 14 points. USC improves to 7-3 overall with the win, while TSU goes to 0-7.

USC's Jordan Sanders and Jordyn Jenkins both had double digits by halftime as the Trojans shot 42.1 percent from the floor to work their way ahead of Texas Southern 42-19 in the first half. The Tigers shot 26.1 percent in the first half of action, although the teams were matched up on the boards 19-19 by the break. The Trojans bumped up their rebounding effort in the second half, winding up winning the boards 45-30 thanks in large part to a career-high 17 final rebounds from Marshall. USC upped its offense as well, finishing up shooting 44.0 percent overall from the floor, while Texas Southern finished up at 32.1 percent. 

Marshall and Jordan Sanders led USC with 14 points apiece, while two other Trojans hit double digits in the win. Jordyn Jenkins scored 12 and Clarice Akunwafo added 10. Texas Southern received a game-high 16 points from Andriana Avent.

After an early slump, USC manufactured an 8-0 run to take the lead, with Alissa Pili providing the bookends on that rally to an 8-4 advantage in the first four minutes. Jordan Sanders would bury back-to-back 3-pointers in a 20-second span, then added a successful trip to the stripe for an 8-0 run all her own to net a 16-6 USC advantage entering the final two minutes of the first frame. But Sanders wasn't done. She blasted another three next, making it 19-6 Trojans while Sanders had her ninth double-digit game in the books already with her 11 points contributing to a 19-6 USC lead at 1:57. What would grow to a 15-point scoring surge  for USC came to an end with a late bucket by the Tigers, making it 23-8 USC after 10 minutes of action. Things slowed a bit in the second, but USC mounted a 7-0 run that included back-to-back buckets from Tera Reed to go up 36-15. And in the final minute, USC found three more baskets, including a buzzer-beater from Jordyn Jenkins to take a 42-20 lead at halftime. 

After a slow start, USC found a groove again with help from a dedication to the boards by the Trojans. Rayah Marshall would work her way into a double-double in contributing five rebounds and six points to the Trojan cause in the third. That effort helped set USC on course to lead things 57-28 entering the final frame. The fourth featured another 8-0 USC scoring rally, along with eight points from Clarice Akunwafo, who finished with 10 points for her second career double-digit game as USC wrapped up a final 77-45 win.

NOTABLE:
- With 14 points today, GS Jordan Sanders tallied her team-leading ninth double-digit game.
- Sanders had double digits in the first quarter with 11 points
- With four blocks, FR Rayah Marshall has now recorded at least two blocks in five straight games.
- Marshall also recorded her first double-double with 14 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.
- Marshall's 17 rebounds is the most by a Trojan this season and matches most since Alissa Pili had 17 vs. UCLA on Jan. 17, 2020.
- Marshall also had a career-high five assists. 
- FR Clarice Akunwafo matched her career-high of 10 points.
- USC is now 6-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
- SO Jordyn Jenkins was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor.
- The game marked a return to campus for Trojan great Cynthia Cooper, who is head coach of the Tigers.