College Basketball Tourney At Acrisure Arena Brings It Courtside

PALM DESERT, CA — USC's sixth-ranked women's basketball team will try to bounce back from a loss to Notre Dame when it faces Seton Hall Wednesday 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.

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 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.

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.