USC women’s basketball team to face Seton Hall on day two of Acrisure Series
USC's sixth-ranked women's basketball team will try to bounce back from a loss to Notre Dame when it faces Seton Hall today at 4 p.m. at Acrisure Arena on the second day of what organizers bill as the nation's largest collection of college basketball multiple-team events.
Check out our coverage of day one of the Acrisure Series:
The Trojans (4-1) lost to the Fighting Irish, 74-61, Saturday at the Galen Center, despite a game-high equaling 24 points from JuJu Watkins. Watkins is tied for ninth in the nation, averaging 22 points per game, after finishing second as a freshman last season when she averaged 27.1 points and was a first- team All-America selection.
Seton Hall (4-1) is also coming off its first loss of the season, losing to Princeton, 78-75, Thursday. The Pirates are led by forward Faith Masonius, a graduate student averaging 19.6 points per game after playing four seasons and part of a fifth at Maryland.
Oddsmakers have made USC a 4- to 4 1/2-point favorite. ESPN's matchup predictor gives the Trojans a 97.9% chance of winning, Seton Hall a 2.1% chance.
USC's men's team will play St. Mary's Thursday at 6 p.m. as part of the Acrisure Series' Acrisure Classic and either New Mexico or Arizona State Friday.
The Trojan women's team will play Saint Louis Friday at 4 p.m. in another Acrisure Holiday Invitational game.
Former USC men's basketball coach Andy Enfield will coach his eighth game for SMU when the Mustangs (5-2) face Washington State (6-1) at 6:30 p.m. in the men's championship game of Acrisure Holiday Invitational. SMU defeated California Baptist, 79-77, Tuesday, with guard Boopie Miller breaking a tie
with a 13-foot jump shot with 2.1 seconds left after the Mustangs squandered a 16-point second-half lead.
Washington State defeated Fresno State, 84-73, Tuesday, with guard Nate Calmese leading four Cougars in double figures with 22 points.
California Baptist (4-3) will face Fresno State (3-3) in the third- place game at 9 p.m.
Michigan State (7-0) will face Vanderbilt at 1:30 p.m. in the women's Acrisure Holiday Invitational championship game.
The Spartans overcame a 12-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to defeat California, 78-72, Tuesday.
Michigan State rallies back to defeat Cal 78-72 in @AcrisureSeries tournament opener. Lady Spartans were led by senior star Julia Ayrault who had 22 pts and 9 rebs, including some big shots down the stretch. MSU improves to 7-0, while Cal falls to 6-1. @KESQ @MSU_WBasketball pic.twitter.com/g3sPLd8X5Z
— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) November 26, 2024
Michigan State opened the fourth quarter by scoring 10 unanswered points, cutting the deficit to 60-58 with 6 minutes, 51 seconds to play. The Spartans took their first lead since the second quarter when Nyla Hampton's 3-point basket with 3:59 left put them ahead 67-66. Julia Ayrault completed the 9-1 run with a jump shot to increase the Spartans' lead to 69-66 with 2:34 remaining.
After a tip-in by center Gabrielle Abigor pulled the Golden Bears within one, 69-68, with 2:18 to play, Michigan State scored the next six points and led by at least four for the rest of the game.
Ayrault scored 13 of her game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter while Theryn Hallock added 15 for Michigan State. Lulu Twidale led California (6-1) with 20.
Vanderbilt defeated Arizona, 71-60, Tuesday, with forward Khamil Pierre scoring a game-high 25 points and guard Mikayla Blakes adding 23.
Khamil Pierre's 25 points and 15 rebounds helped lead Vanderbilt to a 71-60 win over Arizona. The Lady 'Dores will face Michigan State in the championship game tomorrow. Both teams are unbeaten on the season. @KESQ @AcrisureSeries @VandyWBB pic.twitter.com/hDrw0ooKJt
— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) November 26, 2024
California (6-1) will play Arizona (6-2) in the third-place game at 11 a.m.
All games will be broadcast by TruTV and streamed by Max.
The 19-game Acrisure Series will conclude Friday.
