USC shot as high as 64.3 percent from the field in their 96-59 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the women’s basketball NCAA Tournament second round.
Grad student forward Kiki Iriafen led the Women of Troy with 36 points. Both she and senior forward Rayah Marshall led in rebounds with nine boards each.
Grad student guard Jerkaila Jordan led Mississippi State with 17 points. Her and junior center Madina Okot made six rebounds each.
“A player like her, when we look at the history of our program, you look at a kid that, like I said, played every single night like it was her last game,” Bulldogs women’s basketball head coach Sam Purcell said about Jordan. “You want that out of every player but every player ain’t wired like that. [Jordan is] wired like that. And I can go back from game to game where it was hard. And she rises to the occasion.”
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Iriafen noted how the win was “a team effort” as eight Women of Troy combined for 29 assists.
“We were moving that ball. We were passing that ball. That’s what makes the win so grand,” Iriafen said. “It makes it super fun when everybody’s able to contribute. I think we had a lot of energy, and our fans today were incredible.”
The game was an emotional and physical battle. With sophomore guard JuJu Watkins getting injured in the first quarter, the home crowd jeered the Bulldogs vehemently throughout the matchup.
Bulldogs head coach Sam Purcell and Jordan send thoughts and prayers to Watkins.
“I actually was looking forward to playing against her. She’s one of the best of the best,” Jordan said. “Seeing her go down was really tough. I said my prayers for her. I hope she’s okay.”
The Women of Troy rallied with freshman guard Kennedy Smith securing 10 points and five steals, guard Avery Howell making four three-pointers and guard Kayleigh Heckel scoring 13 points.
“I think she’s the energizer, the spark we need,” Iriafen said about Heckel. “Most of the times she comes in, the game shifts for us. She’s someone who is able to get us on runs, she’s great defensively. She gets to the basket.”
USC ended the first three quarters with a buzzer-beating shot. Marshall, a Los Angeles native, hit a three-pointer right before the halftime buzzer, edging the score up 50-27 in favor of USC. Marshall ended the night with 12 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. Fans chanted her name as she was subbed out near the end of the game.
“She came here when there were no fans,” said USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “I think this crowd getting to see her play with a ton of energy, and we talk about her at the front of the press and her defensive coverages, and she just anchors us in so many ways.”
USC held the Bulldogs to 18.8 percent shooting on the field with steals by Heckel and Smith along with blocks by Marshall.
The Women of Troy bench scored 32 points in the contest. USC also scored 46 points in the paint and got a 27-point benefit from Bulldog turnovers.
The Women of Troy will battle the Kansas State Wildcats in the Sweet 16, they will face off on March 29 at 5:00 P.M.
