The Fresno State women’s basketball team (7-4) lost 89-40 against the No. 5 University of Southern California on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the Galen Center.
The Bulldogs were led by sophomore Holly Griffiths, who came off the bench with 11 points, a season high, and went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, also a season high. Junior forward Mia Jacobs also chipped in, matching Griffiths’ 11 points, including six from 3-point range as she went 2-for-4.
The Trojans were led by their first team Associated Press preseason All-American duo JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen. Iriafen led the charge with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Watkins finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Bulldogs started the game on the right track as they got an early 10-6 lead, but the Trojans star power was too much for the ‘Dogs as they took the lead and never looked back.
What happened
The Trojans were first on the scoreboard after a drive to the paint for a layup. But it didn’t come easily as the Bulldogs started the game strong on the defensive end, hounding the Trojans and forcing early turnovers as a result. Because of their defense, the Bulldogs were able to capitalize as Jacobs drained her first shot of the game – a 3-pointer off a pass from sophomore Kylee Fox to give the ‘Dogs an early 3-2 lead.
Jacobs would continue her strong first quarter play as she scored seven of the Bulldogs 10 points halfway through the quarter, putting the ‘Dogs up 10-6.
However, after struggling early in the game, Watkins gained momentum as the Trojans looked to play through her on offense. It seemed to work as the Trojans closed out the quarter on a 16-2 run and a 22-12 lead.
In the second quarter, the Trojans put the defensive pressure on the Bulldogs, who struggled to break through. Jacobs also picked up her second foul of the game, prompting Head Coach Jaime White to bench her in exchange for Griffiths as a precaution.
When Griffiths checked into the game, she immediately made an impact, draining back-to-back 3-pointers to trim the lead down to 30-18. But the Trojans answered with a 16-2 run to close the second quarter, growing their lead to 46-20.
Entering halftime, the Bulldogs were held to eight points in the second quarter to the Trojans’ 24. The ‘Dogs struggled to score, going 8-for-28 (28.57%) from the field and 4-for-10 (40%) from 3-point range. In contrast, the Trojans were 16-for-29 (55.17%) from the field and 3-for-8 (37.5%) from the 3-point line.
Heading into the second half of the game, the Trojans still looked to apply pressure on the defensive end as they pressed up full court, trapped in the half court and clogged the paint despite their large lead.
The Bulldogs only managed to score 20 points in the second half on 5-for-20 (25%) shooting from the field and 5-for-10 (50%) from three. The Trojans’ scored 43 points in the second half on 14-for-34 (41.18%) shooting and 4-for-10 (40%) from 3-point range as they won the game 89-40.
What’s next
The Bulldogs look to get back in the win column as they take on California State University, Bakersfield on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. at the Save Mart Center.