Fri Mar 07 19:30:00 UTC 2025: **USC Trojan Basketball Teams Triumph: Women Clinch Big Ten Title, Men End Losing Streak**
LOS ANGELES, CA – The USC Trojans basketball programs celebrated significant victories this week, highlighted by the women’s team securing the Big Ten regular-season championship and the men’s team snapping a five-game losing skid.
The USC women’s team dominated No. 2 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, culminating a stellar season. This success was further underscored by individual accolades: JuJu Watkins earned Big Ten Player of the Year, Lindsay Gottlieb was named Coach of the Year, and Kiki Iriafen and Watkins received unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selections. Rayah Marshall and Watkins also made the All-Defense team, and Kennedy Smith earned a spot on the All-Freshmen team.
Meanwhile, the men’s team bounced back with a decisive 92-61 win over Washington. Desmond Claude led the charge with 25 points and a career-high 11 assists, a significant turnaround after a low-scoring performance in their previous game. Chibuzo Agbo also contributed significantly with 26 points, and Rashaun Agee had a career week, setting new personal bests in points, blocks, and steals.
The Peristyle Podcast’s basketball-focused show, “The USC Triple-Double Podcast,” hosted by Shotgun Spratling and Connor Morrissette, analyzed these victories and looked ahead to upcoming challenges. The podcast previewed the women’s Big Ten Tournament prospects and the men’s crucial Crosstown Showdown against UCLA, discussing the Trojans’ path to the Big Ten Tournament. Listeners can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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