No. 4 USC plays No. 22 Michigan State, aims for 5th straight win

By Canadian Press on February 19, 2025.

Michigan State Spartans (19-6, 9-5 Big Ten) at USC Trojans (23-2, 13-1 Big Ten)

Los Angeles; Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: No. 4 USC is looking to prolong its four-game win streak with a victory over No. 22 Michigan State.

The Trojans are 12-1 in home games. USC ranks sixth in college basketball with 38.7 rebounds led by Rayah Marshall averaging 8.4.

The Spartans are 9-5 in Big Ten play. Michigan State has a 1-0 record in one-possession games.

USC makes 44.7% of its shots from the field this season, which is 5.7 percentage points higher than Michigan State has allowed to its opponents (39.0%). Michigan State averages 24.0 more points per game (81.0) than USC gives up (57.0).

The matchup Wednesday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams in conference play.

TOP PERFORMERS: JuJu Watkins averages 2.1 made 3-pointers per game for the Trojans, scoring 24.2 points while shooting 34.9% from beyond the arc. Kiki Iriafen is averaging 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds over the past 10 games.

Julia Ayrault is scoring 15.3 points per game and averaging 7.5 rebounds for the Spartans. Theryn Hallock is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Trojans: 9-1, averaging 78.7 points, 37.4 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 9.5 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 42.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 64.6 points per game.

Spartans: 7-3, averaging 77.5 points, 31.4 rebounds, 19.5 assists, 11.5 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.0 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Associated Press

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