How to Watch Nebraska Women’s Basketball at No. 4 USC: Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

The Huskers' extended stay in Los Angeles wraps up with a showdown against the No. 4 Trojans.

Nebraska guard Britt Prince brings the basketball up the court as UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez gives chase. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

As tough sledding as it gets against No. 1 teams, the Nebraska women’s basketball team showed its toughness in a competitive first half against No. 1 UCLA on Sunday, keeping within seven of the Bruins at halftime in Los Angeles. 

But UCLA flexed its muscles in the final two quarters, shooting 73 percent (19-for-26) from the field in the second half while holding NU to a 24 field goal percentage en route to a dominant 91-54 victory to stay undefeated. 

The Huskers were limited to one double-figure scorer in true freshman Amiah Hargrove – who has excelled with the unforeseen playing time – with a team-high 12 points. Guard Callin Hake added nine while Jessica Petrie, Britt Prince and Petra Bozan each finished with seven. Star center Alexis Markowski had a tough day, going 1-for-8 from the field with only three points and two rebounds.  

Nebraska continues its stay in L.A. as a brutal three-game stretch of top-20 matchups comes to a close on New Year’s Day with the Huskers taking on USC and its superstar sophomore JuJu Watkins. 

Here’s all you need to know as the Huskers face off against the Trojans. .  

How to Follow Along 

• Matchup: Nebraska (10-3, 1-1 B1G) at No. 4 USC (12-1, 2-0 B1G) 
• When: Wednesday, Jan. 1
• Where: Galen Center, Los Angeles, Calif. 
• Time: 2 p.m. CST 
• Watch: Big Ten Network
• Listen: Huskers Radio Network and affiliates

USC guard JuJu Watkins dribbles the ball against Michigan Wolverines guard Te'Yala Delfosse. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC Scout

Head Coach: Lindsay Gottlieb | 4th Season at USC; 15th as HC | 74-33 (.692) at USC; 306-161 (.655) Career HC Record | 10x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 1x Final Four, 1x Elite Eight | 1x Pac-12 Regular Season & Tournament Championship, 1x Pac-12 Coach OTY (Media, 2x Big West Championships, 1x Big West Coach OTY | Previous head coach at California and UC Santa Barbara | Previous assistant at the Cleveland Cavaliers, California, Richmond, New Hampshire and Syracuse. 

2023-24 Record: 29-6 (13-5 Pac-12, T-2nd) | 1x First-Team All-American | Pac-12 Freshman OTY, 2x All-Pac-12, 1x Honorable Mention, 1x All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention, 1x All-Freshman Team | L, 80-73 to UConn in Elite Eight.   

All-Time Series: Nebraska leads 5-3 (Nov. 29, 2019 last meeting, 67-54 Nebraska).

Key Returners: JuJu Watkins, G, Soph. | Rayah Marshall, C/F, Sr. | Clarice Akunwafo, C, Sr.

Key Additions: Kiki Ifriafen, F, Gr. (Stanford) | Kennedy Smith, G, Fr. (Recruit) | Kayleigh Heckel, G, Fr. (Recruit) | Talia von Oelhoffen, G, Gr. (Oregon State) | Avery Howell, G, Fr. (Recruit). 

Key Departures: McKenzie Forbes, G/F (Eligibility) | Kayla Padilla, G (Eligibility) | Kaitlyn Davis, F (Eligibility) | Taylor Bigby, G, R-Jr. (TCU) | Kayla Williams, G, Gr. (California). 

Outlook: A budding talent in this new generation of women’s basketball superstars, JuJu Watkins blasted onto the national scene last season for the Trojans, garnering First-Team All-American honors after leading USC with over 27 points per game (2nd in the nation), breaking the all-time freshman national scoring record (920) and being named the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award. She is a special talent that will light up scoreboards for years to come, and she hasn’t slowed down as a sophomore with over 25 points per game 

A major advantage in having a superstar like Watkins is the interest from other stars to come play with her. Fourth-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb took advantage of that sentiment in the transfer portal after four of the six leading scorers from last year’s Elite Eight team. That’s why she grabbed a couple of key transfers from former Pac-12 schools. The biggest being graduate student forward Kiki Iriafen from Stanford. The L.A. native won the Katrina McClain Award for the nation’s best forward last season, and was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player after averaging 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game. Talia von Oelhoffen was a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree for Oregon State and is now with the Trojans for her final college season. 

USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Returning 6-foot-4 center Rayah Marshall creates a powerful duo with Iriafen in the post, averaging over eight points and rebounds per contest. True freshman Kennedy Williams was excellent through six games by scoring 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest, but she was lost indefinitely due to a surgical procedure in late November. Fellow freshman Kayleigh Heckel has stepped into her place with poise, averaging 7.1 points in 13 games. 

The Trojans are ranked second from the free-throw line (76.3%) while carrying an elite offense with 84.5 points per game on a 47.1 team field goal percentage. They’re not as good from beyond the arc (33%), but USC’s rebounding prowess makes up for some of it. 

These Trojans are already battle-tested a third of the way through the season with a 3-1 record against ranked opponents. That trio of victories include No. 20 Ole Miss (68-66) to open the season, at No. 4 UConn (72-70) and No. 23 Michigan (78-58) in its most recent game. The only loss being a 74-61 defeat to No. 6 Notre Dame on Nov. 23. 

Similar in its game against No. 1 UCLA, it’s about competing for Nebraska. The Huskers had a shot against the Bruins heading into the second half, but the lopsided talent comparison eventually reared its head. A similar fate wouldn’t be surprising, but a trappy New Year’s noon game could trip up the Trojans if Nebraska plays its best.

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