Can USC and UCLA women’s basketball make it deep in NCAA tournament?
USA Today’s Jordan Mendoza believes that the women’s teams in Southern California can make a splash in March Madness this year.
Sports Seriously
LOS ANGELES — There are few things more stressful than planning a Sweet 16.
Outside of getting the guest list right, there’s the menu, the venue and more. That just makes up the pre-planning phase of the process. However, even the best laid plans of mice and men can often go awry. Maybe the food isn’t delivered on time or, worse, the music stops.
For the USC Trojans and Mississippi State Bulldogs, are hoping to have a seat at the table if, and when, that happens. The task is tall though.
At the end of the day, one team is going to be invited to the Sweet 16. Will it be the popular kids from USC or can Mississippi State crash the party? Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between the Trojans and Bulldogs on Monday night.
USC senior Kiki Iriafen is taking charge of the Trojans, who have a 75-42 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Iriafen is up to a season-high of 31 points though three quarters and is 10 points away from her career-high of 41, which she posted last year in the 2024 NCAA Tournament while playing with Stanford. Iriafen is shooting an efficient 14-of-19 from the field and added five rebounds, two blocks and two assists to her stat line. USC’s Rayah Marshall and Kennedy Smith have also reached double-digits in scoring.
Meanwhile, Mississippi State is struggling to get much going offensively. The Bulldogs are shooting a combined 28.6% from the field and are 2-of-8 from three. Jerkaila Jordan has a team-high 17 points.
The Trojans head into the locker room with a 23-point lead heading into halftime, but all eyes are on the status of star JuJu Watkins. Watkins exited the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. Kiki Iriafen stepped up in Watkins’ absence and leads the Trojans with 15 points and four rebounds. USC is collectively shooting 54.8% from the field and 5-of-13 from three. Mississippi State Jerkaila Jordan is the only Bulldog in double digits, scoring 11 points in the first half. The team is collectively shooting 26.7% from the field and are 0-of-3 from three.
The Trojans got another injury scare in the second quarter when guard Malia Samuels took some hard contact on a layup attempt. She appeared to hit her shoulder and head on the court. Medical staff came to assists her and she appeared to say she was fine. She went back to the locker room and later returned to the game.
The Trojans jumped out to an 11-0 first quarter lead, dominating the opening minutes before some fans had even settled in their seats. USC was up 13-2 when star guard JuJu Watkins left the game with what appeard to be a severe knee injury. The Trojans then boosted the lead to 17-2, before the quarter ended with the score 28-8.
JuJu Watkins has been injured minutes into USC’s women’s March Madness game against Mississippi State that tipped off at 10 p.m. ET.
Watkins was on a fast break when she collided with a Mississippi State player. She immediately went down, grabbed her knee and was visibly in pain.
Medical staff came to assist and they carried her off the court. She did not put any weight on her knee.
The ball has tipped at the Galen Center and the Trojans are off to a hot start. USC’s Talia von Oelhoffen drilled the first bucket of the night to start a 9-0 run for USC three minutes into the contest.
Where to watch USC vs. Mississippi State: TV channel, time
- Game Day: Monday, March 24, 2025
- Game Time: 10 p.m. ET
- Location: Galen Center in Los Angeles
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: Fubo – Watch Now!
Watch USC vs. Mississippi State on Fubo (free trial)
USC vs. Mississippi State odds
Odds via BetMGM as of Sunday, March 23.
- Spread: USC -17.5
- Moneyline Favorite: USC -3000
- Moneyline Underdog: Mississippi State +1200
- Total: 147.5
