Watkins and Iriafen both with 22 points help USC to beat Illinois 76-66

USC Trojans #12 JuJu Watkins (G) is driving down the left side of the court and being guarded by Illinois Fighting Illini #20 Berry Wallace (F). Photo taken by Deangelo Scruggs Jr/Fi360 News.

LOS ANGELES, CA - It was Senior Day at the Galen Center for Rayah Marshall, Clarice Akunwafo, Kiki Iriafen, and Domingue Darius as the No. 4 USC Trojans held on to beat the No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini 76-66.

JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen both had 22 points to lead the Trojans in scoring, followed by Marshall with 12 points, and thirteen rebounds, her 39th of her career, and Kennedy Smith with 8 points.

With the win, USC remains first in the Big Ten Conference (25-2, 15-1 Big Ten), one game ahead of the UCLA Bruins (14-1) in the standings, and Illinois in fifth place (21-7, 11-6 Big Ten).

Watkins and Marshall's jump shots got USC off to a good start, 4-0. Illinois led 10-8 with a jump shot by Adalia McKenzie after going a 6-2 run.

USC Trojans #44 Kiki Iriafen (F) blew past several Illinois Fighting Illini players in the key to go up for a layup in the first quarter. Photo by Deangelo Scruggs Jr/Fi360News.

Kennedy Smith would tie the game 13-13 with a three-pointer from the top of the key. The Fighting Illini had to call a timeout trailing 17-13 after the Trojans' Kiki Iriafen's layup.

USC went up 22-15 with a three-pointer by Avery Howell from the right side of the court. Illinois trail at the end of the first quarter 26-22 after a three-pointer by Genesis Bryant just before the horn went off.

Marshall's layup gave USC a 28-22 lead to start the second quarter. Smith, from the right side of the knocked down another three-point shot to give the Trojans a 33-26 lead.

Watkins stole the ball and went downcourt for a layup, and USC now led 37-26. The Fighting Illini were trailing by nine points in the second quarter, 39-30, after a jump shot by 44 Kendall Bostic at the free throw line.

Illinois was hanging close down 40-34 with a jump shot by Genesis Bryant inside the key. USC led 40-36 at halftime, with Wakins with 12 points and Kiki Iriafen with 11 points.

Bryant led Illinois in scoring with 13 points and Bostic with 10 points. The Trojans had five turnovers in the first half, and the Fighting Illini with seven.

Illinois Fighting Illini #24 Adalia McKenzie (G) is trying to block USC Trojans #12 JuJu Watkins (G) shot. Photo by Deangelo Scruggs Jr/Fi360 News.

Berry Wallace tied the game 40-40 in the third quarter. Marshall, with back-to-back layups, gave USC a 45-42 lead. USC started to pull away and led 55 -46 with a basket by Kennedy.

Iriafen gave USC a ten-point lead at the end of the third quarter, 57-47, pulling up for a jump shot from the right side of the basket.

Kayleigh Heckel, guarding Bostic, stole the basketball and went downcourt for a layup to give The Trojans a 59-47 lead in the fourth quarter. USC led 66-52 with a three-pointer by Heckel.

The Trojans led by eighteen points, 70-52, with a layup by Talia von Oelhoffen with 4:40 left in the game. There is a reason why they are called "The Fighting Illini," they went on a run to trail by nine points, 72-63, capped off with a layup by McKenzie with 2:08 left in the game.

USC would withstand the late run and come away with a big win for the program on their senior day.

Bryant was the leading scorer for Illinois with 22 points, Bostic with 18 points, and Wallace with 14 points.

USC got to the free-throw line to hold off Illinois, making 16 of 18 with Watkins making ten shots and forced the Fighting Illini to have 17 turnovers.

The Trojans will end their regular season next Saturday in Westwood to take on the UCLA Bruins.