Kiki Iriafen stats: How did the USC star fare against in-state rival UCLA (March 1st)?

For the second time this season, Kiki Iriafen and USC won against the UCLA Bruins. For Iriafen, it's yet more validation for her California college basketball odyssey. Iriafen started her career at Stanford, where she bloomed into a star.

The 6-foot-3 forward transferred to USC to finish her college career. Iriafen hasn't posted quite the same stats as she did at Stanford due to playing a secondary role to standout guard JuJu Watkins. That said, she has still been a steady and integral part of an excellent season for the Trojans.

Kiki Iriafen stats against UCLA

Iriafen played 27 minutes in Saturday's game. Iraifen connected on 8 of 13 shots overall and did not attempt a 3-point shot. She was one of two at the free throw line for 17 points.

She also grabbed a team-best nine rebounds. Iriafen had two assists against one turnover and also grabbed a steal. Iriafen helped battle UCLA star Lauren Betts to a virtual standoff in the post. Despite Betts' 6-foot-7 frame, the Bruins won the rebounding battle just 42-36.

Iriafen posted a +12 plus/minus in her 27 minutes on the court. Given that USC won the game by 13 points, that means that the Trojans were +12 in Iriafen's 27 minutes on the court as opposed to just +1 in the 13 minutes that she sat down.

Kiki Iriafen's season

Iriafen entered play on Saturday averaging 18.2 points per game, down only slightly from her 19.4 ppg of a season ago. Her rebounding has had a noticeable decline, dropping from 11.0 boards per game to 8.2. But Iriafen has improved her foul shooting (77% up to 82%), her steals and her blocked shot totals.

Iriafen is approaching 1,600 total points for her collegiate career. She has also grabbed over 800 rebounds. Only once in the current season has Iriafen failed to score at least 10 points.

USC's season

With a second win over UCLA, the Trojans remain the only team to have beaten the Bruins in the regular season. The win wrapped up a top seed in the Big Ten conference tournament. USC's only two losses on the year came to Notre Dame in November and to Iowa on February 2nd.

The Trojans will have an excellent shot at earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Iriafen will look to help USC make its first Final Four since 1986.