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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL — 2023-24
USC vs. Stanford — live updates
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Scoring plays
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(Bryce Dechert / Daily Trojan)
📌 PINNED
Thomas Johnson & Leila MacKenzie from MGM Grand Garden Arena; photos by Bryce Dechert
It’s the beginning of the end. No. 2-seeded USC is taking on No. 1-seeded Stanford in the final Pac-12 women’s college basketball tournament championship.
The Trojans defeated Stanford on Feb. 2 at Maples Pavilion for the first time since 2001 when JuJu Watkins hung 51 points on the Cardinal.
We’ll be reporting live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Refresh to see new updates.
3:48 p.m.
Pac-12 Champs.
Game. Set. Match.
USC takes down Stanford by the score of 74-61 for its first Pac-12 tournament title since 2014.
McKenzie Forbes led the way for USC, knocking down 26 points on 52.3% shooting from the field.
3:42 p.m.
Less than five minutes. USC leads 63-50.
McKenzie Forbes has been an absolute stud, knocking down 24 points for USC to lead all scorers. JuJu Watkins only has 6 points on a meager 1-for-13 shooting, but her team is still in the driver’s seat for this stretch run.
3:38 p.m.
Kaitlyn Davis just committed her fourth foul of the game, forcing Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb to take her out of the game for the time being. USC leads 63-50.
3:35 p.m.
Fans rise to their feet as Stanford calls a timeout. USC has extended its lead to 13, up 63-50 with 6:24 left in the fourth quarter.
Six minutes is a lot of time in basketball, but the Trojans are inching closer to a Pac-12 title.
3:26 p.m.
The lead remains at 9. USC leads 53-44 as each team scored 13 points in the third frame. The Trojans will head into their last quarter of a Pac-12 conference game — unless this one goes into overtime — with a lead and a chance at a Pac-12 title.
3:23 p.m.
Back-to-back 3-pointers have the Cardinal within 9 points of USC in the final minute of the third quarter.
3:12 p.m.
When Rayah Marshall is cooking the Trojans can do nothing but cruise. With 10 points and seven rebounds, Marshall is the only USC player to score a basket this quarter as the Trojans lead 46-35.
USC is undefeated this season when Marshall hits double digits in scoring.
2:52 p.m.
This is familiar territory for both the Trojans and the Cardinal.
USC has led at halftime in all of its games this tournament but failed to win the third and fourth quarters in either of the first two matchups.
Stanford, meanwhile, trailed at halftime in its first two contests — 36-28 against Cal and 35-27 against Oregon State — but stormed back to win both to get them to the finals.
The Trojans will have to lock in during the second half to buck the trends both teams have been experiencing.
2:49 p.m.
McKenzie Forbes closes out the half with a floater to put the Trojans ahead 40-31 entering the intermission.
2:46 p.m.
JuJu Watkins has her first points of the game, hitting both at the charity stripe. The Trojans lead 36-31 and Watkins only has the 2 points.
2:45 p.m.
The Trojans are currently outrebounding Stanford 18-10, and have also taken 12 more shots than the Cardinal.
Despite facing two of the nation’s best post players in the paint, USC’s Rayah Marshall is leading both squads with seven rebounds.
2:38 p.m.
The Trojans are starting to slowly regain the momentum; they’re currently on a 7-2 run to get their lead back up to 29-24. Surprisingly, USC has a lead and JuJu Watkins does not have a single point, as McKenzie Forbes has a game-high 10 points.
Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen each have 8 points for the Cardinal.
2:34 p.m.
After Stanford tied the game with 10 unanswered points in five minutes, the Trojans are back on top, leading 24-22.
The teams are a combined 3-10 shooting this quarter.
2:25 p.m.
USC leads at the end of the first quarter, up 22-17. The Cardinal had a strong end to the frame, hitting their last five shots from the field while the Trojans missed their final four.
2:19 p.m.
At the first timeout of the game with 2:10 left in the opening quarter, the Trojans lead 20-12. USC continues a trend of having very strong first quarters, but Stanford has had multiple comebacks in this tournament while the Trojans have allowed teams to come back from deficits. This one is just getting started.
2:13 p.m.
Both teams are shooting lights out from behind the arc as five triples have the score at USC 9 – Stanford 6.
It’s the Ivy Leaguers for USC, as McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla have hit all three daggers from downtown for the Trojans.
2:09 p.m.
JuJu Watkins dips, dances and dishes to McKenzie Forbes who hits the 3-pointer to open the game. Stanford’s Cameron Brink immediately answers with a triple of her own, this one is tied.
2:04 p.m.
Prior to the game, the MGM Grand Garden Arena was treated with messages from USC alum Cheryl Miller and Stanford alum Andrew Luck to hype up their respective teams.
2:02 p.m.
Well y’all, it’s the title game. MGM Grand Garden Arena is starting to fill in and tip is minutes away!
In an effort to take down Stanford — the 15-time Pac-12 Tournament Champion — the Trojans will start:
G Kayla Padilla
G/F McKenzie Forbes
G JuJu Watkins
C/F Rayah Marshall
F Kaitlyn Davis
