LOS ANGELES — In a thrilling matchup on Wednesday night, the fourth-ranked Southern California Trojans overcame the No. 22 Michigan State Spartans with a score of 83-75. JuJu Watkins was a standout for USC, scoring 28 points, while Kiki Iriafen contributed a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Watkins, who is the leading scorer in the Big Ten with an average of 24.3 points per game, has achieved a remarkable six games this season where she has scored at least 28 points. The Trojans improved their record to 24-2 overall and 14-1 in conference play, demonstrating impressive performance against ranked opponents with a 7-1 record this season.

On the other side, Grace VanSlooten matched her career-best with 29 points, and Julia Ayrault secured a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan State. The Spartans now hold a record of 19-7, with a 9-6 mark in the conference, struggling against ranked teams as they dropped to 2-4. Michigan State faced a challenging loss just days earlier against the then top-ranked UCLA, falling 75-69.

During the game, USC built a commanding 21-point advantage late in the third quarter. However, the Spartans fought back in the fourth, going on a 15-4 run to narrow the gap to 74-68 within four minutes left in the match. Despite their efforts, a crucial jumper from Kennedy Smith and a fast-break layup from Watkins restored USC’s lead to double digits, ultimately sealing the win.

Key takeaways from the game highlighted Michigan State’s struggles, as they came in averaging 7.2 made three-pointers per game but could only convert 1 of 13 from long range. Meanwhile, the victory for USC marked a significant achievement, securing them a double-bye in the upcoming Big Ten tournament while maintaining first place in the conference with just two regular-season games left.

A pivotal moment in the game occurred early on when Michigan State held a slight 6-4 lead. However, USC quickly seized control with a 13-2 run, fueled by five points from Watkins and four free throws by Smith.

An interesting statistic from the game revealed that Michigan State recorded 14 steals, with seven of those occurring in the fourth quarter. The Spartans were ranked eighth in the nation for average steals per game coming into this matchup, showing their defensive prowess despite the loss.

Looking ahead, both teams will return to their home courts on Sunday, as Michigan State is set to take on Indiana while USC will host its final regular-season game against No. 25 Illinois.