Ohio State Buckeyes at USC Trojans

Iriafen scores 24 points and No. 7 USC beats No. 8 Ohio State 84-63 as Watkins struggles

It was a cold shooting night for Watkins, the Big Ten’s leading scorer who averages 24.2 points. She missed her first 11 shots before scoring on a layup in the third quarter, drawing big cheers from the crowd. She was 5 for 21 from the floor (1 of 6 from 3-point range) and finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Trojans (21-2, 11-1 Big Ten) missed their first seven shots and had five turnovers in the game's opening five minutes.

The Buckeyes (20-3, 9-3) were led by Taylor Thierry, who scored 14 points before fouling out with 5:37 remaining. Cotie McMahon added 13 points.

Takeaways Ohio State: The Buckeyes got swept in LA, losing to top-ranked UCLA by 13 points. They led the Trojans by five to start the game and trailed by one in the second quarter only to get outscored 13-6 to end the first half down 34-26.

USC: The Trojans need Watkins to regain her shooting touch with crosstown rival UCLA looming. They also must cut down on turnovers. They committed 23 — second-worst of the season.

Key moment The Trojans pulled away in the third, closing on a 9-2 run to lead 59-45 going into the fourth. Watkins had five points and Kayleigh Heckel added four in the spurt.

Key stat Watkins was 0 for 8 from the floor in the first half when she made all four of her free throws. Against Minnesota a week ago, she was 0 for 10 in the first half and finished with 20 points.

Up next Ohio State hosts Minnesota on Thursday. USC hosts No. 1 UCLA on Thursday in a sold-out game.

How can I watch Buckeyes vs. Trojans?

• TV Channel: Buckeyes vs Trojans 2021 College Basketball, week 14, is broadcasted on FOX.
• Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 8,892 | Capacity: