Gophers dig early hole in 82-69 loss at No. 4 USC

In its most difficult game of the season so far, the Gophers’ women’s basketball team fell into a quick hole and never really recovered in an 82-69 loss to fourth-ranked Southern California late Thursday at Galen Center in Los Angeles.

Sophie Hart finished with a career-high 18 points and eight rebounds, and Mallory Heyer added 17 points and seven boards for the Gophers, but the Trojans — in the teams’ first meeting as Big Ten opponents — extended their winning streak to 15 games.

Minnesota (18-4, 6-4) made JuJu Watkins work for her 20 points (she was 7 for 24 from the floor) but had little answer for Kiki Iriafen, who scored a game-high 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting for the Trojans (19-1, 9-0).

Minnesota fell behind by 20 midway through the third quarter but used a 9-0 run to make it a six-point game with 8:10 remaining. But the early hole was too deep, and USC was able to quash momentum with short spurts of offense.

Amaya Battle added 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block for the Gophers, who play at No. 1 UCLA on Sunday. Tip is set for 2 p.m. CST.

Watkins, the nation’s third-leading scorer with a 24.8-point average, missed her first 10 shots of the game, but she made two free throws as the Trojans put the Gophers on their heels early, opening leads of 5-0, 9-1 and 18-3 on an Iriafen 3-pointer with 4:46 left in the first quarter.

The Gophers got themselves back in the game behind Hart, who scored 10 first-half points from the post. Minnesota pulled within 25-18 on a short Hart jumper before Lofton nailed a 3-pointer on a set play to end the first-quarter scoring and make it 25-15.

The Gophers never got any closer, and trailed at intermission 40-28. They pulled within eight points midway through the third quarter, 45-37, on a second-chance bucket from Hart, but again the Trojans responded, using a 16-4 run to take command, 61-41 with 3:25 left in the frame.

The Gophers were often able to get the ball inside to Hart or on dribble penetration by Battle and Alexia Rose. But early, they either missed some close shots or were harassed into bad ones by an aggressive, and long, Trojans defense, and shot just 36.4% in the first half — and were just 3 for 6 from the free-throw line.

That changed after intermission, when Minnesota slowed down their offense and got good looks, inside and out. Heyer made 5 of 6 3-point attempts through three quarters, and her free throws off a layup attempt cut USC’s lead to 64-56 early in the fourth quarter.

The Gophers forced a turnover on a long USC possession, then Hart scored inside to make it 64-58. But Trojans freshman Avery Howell answered with a 3-pointer to end the Gophers’ nine-point run.

Battle scored inside to keep the Gophers within 67-60, but USC pulled away from there.