Kiki Iriafen stats tonight: How did USC star fare vs Rutgers? (Jan. 5)

Senior forward Kiki Iriafen delivered another impressive performance as the No. 4 USC Trojans routed Rutgers 92-42 on Sunday night, handing the Scarlet Knights their worst home loss in school history.

In 27 minutes of play, Iriafen tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, and a season-high three blocks while shooting 4-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. Despite her shooting struggles, she excelled in the paint, grabbing five offensive rebounds and performing effectively despite two turnovers and one foul.

Iriafen and teammate Rayah Marshall dominated inside, helping USC outrebound Rutgers 56-28. The Trojans secured 26 offensive rebounds and scored 34 points in the paint.

Iriafen entered the game as one of USC's leading scorers with 18.1 points per game, also averaging 9.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 52.7% from the field and 40% from three-point range. The Trojans remain undefeated (3-0) against Big Ten opponents and rank fourth in the conference with 12.6 offensive rebounds per game, led by Iriafen’s 4.6 average.

Alongside sophomore standout JuJu Watkins, graduate student Iriafen has scored in double digits in all 15 USC games this season. Her three blocks against Rutgers marked a season-high.

Trojans Secure 10th Straight Win

The Rutgers-USC game was highly anticipated, with Rutgers showcasing stars Kiyomi McMiller and former Manchester High School standout Destiny Adams, who has recorded three double-doubles with 30 points or more this season. They were set to face off against USC's JuJu Watkins, the nation's third-leading scorer averaging 25.3 points per game, and Kiki Iriafen, averaging 18.1 points.

However, the Trojans faced little resistance from start to finish, allowing them to give significant playing time to their reserves.

Rutgers was without standout freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller, who missed the game due to a decision by head coach Coquese Washington, which the school stated would be handled internally. McMiller is averaging 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, shooting 43.5% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range.

"We prepared to have her," said USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

"Obviously she's a big part of what they do. But I told the team when we found out she's going to be out that sometimes other people take that opportunity to step up, and we couldn't be any less locked on our game plan," Gottlieb added.

It was both an offensive showcase and a defensive masterclass for the Women of Troy. The Trojans held Rutgers to a season-low 42 points overall, including just six points in the second quarter and a season-low 14 points in the first half—the lowest point totals for Rutgers in any quarter or half this season. USC tied its season high with 56 rebounds, improving to 12-0 when outrebounding their opponent.

USC's 14-1 record marks its best start since the 1993-94 season, and this victory secured their first 4-0 conference start since the 2012-13 season. This game also marked the fourth time this season that the Trojans have won by a margin of 50 points or more.

The Trojans now head to Maryland to face the No. 8 Terrapins at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday (Jan. 8) in College Park, Md.