How to Watch USC Trojans vs. Purdue Women's Basketball: Preview, Prediction, Odds

The No. 4 USC Trojans women’s basketball team is 17-1, 7-0 in Big Ten conference play. The Trojans are coming off a close win against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Women of Troy will face the 7-11 Purdue Boilermakers on Wednesday.

How to Watch:

The No. 4 USC Trojans women’s basketball team will face the Purdue Boilermakers at 4 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Mackey Arena, in West Lafayette, Indiana. The game will be broadcast on Peacock.

USC Trojans Kiki Iriafen — USC's Kiki Iriafen (44) during the Indiana versus University of Southern California women's basektball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC vs. Purdue preview:

The USC Trojans are coming off a tight win against the Indiana Hoosiers. Though the Trojans walked out with the 73-66 win, there were moments when it looked as though the game could go either way. The Hoosiers closed out the third quarter with the lead and kept it close once the Trojans came back.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb highlighted how important this win was for the team after the game. It was a tough one, but she believes it benefits the team to have tough wins.

“I’m really proud of our team. I think we’ve developed a mentality where we want to and expect to win, but it’s never easy. This is a terrific basketball team that we played against and I thought we had to really fight,” Gottlieb said. “I think this team is really starting to learn it’s going to look different ways and come in different forms but I’m just, I’m proud of a big win on the road. I thought our toughness factor was at a really high level”

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USC star guard JuJu Watkins managed to score 22 points, but it took her a while to get going. When asked what adjustments she had to make in the second half, she explained that she had to just get used to it.

“I think I just got used to it. They were sending multiple bodies every time I caught it so it’s just, it’s a matter of kind of isolating myself from that,” Watkins said.

It was not the dominant win that USC has gotten in the past, but it was a tough game that took everyone to step up. Both USC guard Kennedy Smith and forward Kiki Iriafen scored 14 points, while center Rayah Marshall scored 13 points, and guard Talia von Oelffen scored ten. Each starter scored in the double digits, and it took that to win.

The Purdue Boilermakers are 7-11, 0-7 in Big Ten conference play. Despite the losing record, the Boilermakers are 6-5 playing at home. Purdue is on a six-game losing streak, their last win being against Indiana State on Dec. 21. While it has not been a great season for the Boilermakers, they will be looking to keep a winning record at home.

USC Trojans JuJu Watkins — USC's JuJu Watkins (12) works against Indiana's Chloe Moore-McNeil (22) during the Indiana versus University of Southern California women's basektball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Purdue’s leading scorer is guard Destini Lombard, who averages 12.1 points and 2.3 steals. Forward Reagan Bass is a player to watch as she averages 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks. Purdue may not have a conference win this season, but no game is a guarantee. USC has to still play its best against the Boilermakers.

The USC Trojans and Purdue Boilermakers do not have a long history against each other. They have played just once in 2017 when the Trojans won 58-46. The game was held at a neutral location and it will be the first time the Women of Troy play at Mackey Arena.

USC vs. Purdue Prediction:

The USC Trojans are 28.5-point favorites against the Purdue Boilermakers. The Trojans will win the game, 86-58.

After USC’s game against Purdue, the Trojans will face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Jan. 30 at Galen Center.

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