By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — On a night when JuJu Watkins didn’t play her best, the USC supporting cast was up to the task.
Watkins scored 21 points before fouling out in the final minute, Kiki Iriafen also had 21 and Kennedy Smith fueled a critical fourth-quarter run as the fourth-ranked USC women’s basketball team rallied to hand No. 8 Maryland its first loss, 79-74, on Wednesday night.
Shyanne Sellers scored 26 points for Maryland, but the Terrapins (14-1 overall, 4-1 Big Ten) came up empty down the stretch after leading by seven in the fourth quarter.
Maryland led 68-61 before Smith scored seven straight points for USC (15-1 overall, 5-0 Big Ten), tying the game with a 3-pointer with 3:46 left.
A three-point play by Iriafen gave USC a 75-72 lead with 1:28 to play, then Rayah Marshall blocked a jumper by Sellers.
Watkins fouled out on an offensive foul with 31 seconds left, but Maryland’s Saylor Poffenbarger missed from 3-point range, and Avery Howell pushed the Trojans’ lead to five with a couple of free throws.
Iriafen shot 7 for 17 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds for USC, Smith finished with 11 points and eight rebounds and Marshall grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked four shots. Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel added 10 points apiece.
Watkins shot 7 for 19 from the field and had eight of the Trojans’ 19 turnovers, but they showed they could clamp down defensively and got enough scoring from Iriafen and others to prevail.
Christina Dalce had 15 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and five blocks for Maryland. Kaylene Smikle scored 16 for the Terps but shot 6 for 21 from the field on a night when Maryland shot 36.5% overall and just 2 for 14 from 3-point range.
Sellers shot 8 for 15 from the field and 10 for 11 from the free-throw line.
UP NEXT
USC hosts Penn State on Sunday at 5 p.m.