Rayah Marshall Records Third Straight Double-Double as USC Women’s Basketball Beats Saint Mary’s 71-45
LOS ANGELES — The USC women's basketball team tallied its 10th win of the season behind a third consecutive double-double from Rayah Marshall, beating visiting Saint Mary's 71-45 today at Galen Center. USC is now 10-2 overall as the Trojans take a short break for the holidays before reconvening with Pac-12 play in Oregon.
In a topsy-turvy first half, USC opened hot and then cooled significantly on the offensive end, but that early push sustained the Trojans enough to keep USC on top, up 32-26 at halftime. Only one bucket fell from the floor for USC in the second quarter as the Trojans wrapped the first half shooting 35.1 percent overall. Saint Mary's was hitting at a 35.5 percent clip, with the Trojans leading on the boards 25-19 by halftime. USC would right the ship the rest of the way, finishing up shooting 38 percent from the floor to outpace the Gaels' final 29-percent effort. The boards also belonged to the Trojans, 46-42.
Rayah Marshall led all with her double-double on 18 points and 15 rebounds along with four blocks on the day for USC. Okako Adika also hit double digits with 12 points as nine different Trojans scored in today's win. Saint Mary's was led by Jaycee Wedin's 12 points on her four 3-pointers made for the Gaels.
USC manufactured a 9-0 run with six straight points from Rayah Marshall capped with a 3-pointer from Taylor Bigby to craft a quick 11-2 lead for the Trojans just four minutes into the contest. USC broke off an 8-0 rally later, fueled by back-to-back 3-pointers from Alyson Miura and the first points of the day for Koi Love as USC bumped ahead 21-8 with 4:10 on the clock. USC's six and seventh scorers of the frame got in the book in the final minute, with Kayla Williams and Clarice Akunwafo both delivering for the Trojan cause in helping to build out a 28-15 USC lead at the end of the first. Momentum shifted markedly in the second frame, as the Gaels rattled off a 9-0 start while the Trojans came up empty for just over eight minutes before Okako Adika joined the scoresheet to make it 30-24 USC with 1:50 left in the half. Destiny Littleton knocked down two free throws to wrap the half with a 32-26 advantage to take into the locker room.
Saint Mary's landed the first bucket of the second half, only to see USC find its scoring touch again. Marshall worked her way into double digits on the day in helping USC build back a double-digit margin, eventually leading it lead 42-28 thanks to what would grow to be a 10-0 run as Adika and Littleton added free throws along the way. While Marshall built out a double-double for herself, the Trojans kept chugging along, with three-point plays converted by Adika and Littleton and another 3-pointer landed by Miura before the close of the frame to lift USC ahead 55-34 entering the fourth. Bella Perkins became the ninth Trojan to score in the game with her bucket at 7:05, and USC was in good position for the final stretch, up 62-36. The Gaels made an 8-2 push in a two-minute span to make it 64-44 entering the last four minutes, but USC would stay the course and pocket the 71-45 victory in ending the game on a 7-0 run capped by a three planted by Bella Perkins back-to-back scores from Koi Love.
NEXT:
USC takes a short holiday break before digging back into Pac-12 play. The Trojans head to Oregon to ring in the new year, first visiting Oregon State for a 6 p.m. clash on December 30 in Corvallis before heading to Eugene to take on Oregon at 2 p.m. on January 1.
NOTABLE:
- With four blocks, SO Rayah Marshall has recorded at least one block in 33 consecutive games played.
- With 18 points, Marshall scored in double digits for the eighth game this season.
- Along with Marshall's 18 points, she grabbed 15 rebounds for her team-high sixth double-double and 12th of her USC career.
- Marshall also tied a career-high FG made with nine today.
- Marshall also tied a season high with three steals
- USC's 28 first-quarter points marked the most scored in a single quarter this year.
- USC's four second-quarter points marked the fewest scored in a single quarter this year.
- With 12 points, GS Okako Adika scored in double digits for the second time this season.
- JR Kayla Williams recorded a career-high three blocks.
- JR Koi Love scored a season-high nine points.
- USC won by double digits for the eighth time this season.
- USC held Saint Mary's to a season-low 45 points and a season-low 29% (18-of-62) from the field.
- Saint Mary's is now the third opponent that USC has held to under-30 percent shooting this season.
- Saint Mary's eight points scored in the third quarter marks the 10th time this season that USC has allowed fewer than 10 points in a quarter.