The Three Torches 11/20: Back To It

Today, a pair of basketball previews and Piper is moving on at the NCAA Individual Championships

Author

Zach Garrett
November 20, 2024

Good Morning, Trojan Family! The Trojans will be rocking the all-new Nike Kobe 6 “USC” cleat, modeled after the pair Kobe Bryant debuted on Christmas Day in 2010, for the Battle of LA this Saturday.

What else do we have for you in today's edition of The Three Torches? Check it out below!

🏀 A pair of basketball previews
🎾 Piper is moving on at the NCAA Individual Championships
⚔️ And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Bounce Back Spot. Coming off a close loss, Trojan men’s basketball will look to get back into the win column with a game against San Jose State today at 7 p.m. The matchup will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs, with USC holding a 3-1 series advantage.

🔼 Survive and Advance. In her first round match at the NCAA Individual Championships, USC women’s tennis’ Grace Piper defeated her opponent in straight sets to move on to the Round of 32. The country’s 36th-ranked singles player defeated an SEC foe 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the next round of play.

🔼 Top Ten Battle. The No. 3 USC women have a marquee matchup ahead at Galen Center this week, as the Trojans host No. 6 Notre Dame in a 1 p.m. meeting on Saturday. The last top-10 battle at Galen Center was last season when USC beat then-No. 2 UCLA in front of a standing-room-only crowd. The Trojans have already knocked off a top-25 opponent this season in the team’s opening game of the season in Paris against Ole Miss.

#TrojanFamily, enter the Sprouts Super Fan Sweepstakes below for your chance to win exclusive prizes! Sprouts Farmers Market! Open seven days a week, visit your neighborhood Sprouts for good-for-you groceries and great prices on the freshest produce.

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🔼 Winding To A Close. The No. 21-ranked USC women's volleyball team returns to the Midwest for matches at Northwestern and eighth-ranked Purdue this week. The Trojans meet the Wildcats on the road on Thursday in Evanston, IL, and then face the Boilermakers at Holloway Gymnasium on Saturday. The Trojans are 3-3 all-time in the state of Illinois and are 12-1 all-time in the state of Indiana. USC won a pair of matches in West Lafayette in 2023.

🔼 Listen Up. USC baseball is hard at work to prepare for its first season of Big Ten play. Check out one of the Trojans’ recent practices as head coach Andy Stankiewicz gets mic’d up.

🔼 Trojans Live. It’s #BeatTheBruins week on Trojans Live this week as the show hosts Mike Williams, Taylor Mays, Greedy Vance Jr. and HongPing Li.

Today’s Top Tier Performance presented by ARCO goes to USC football’s Jaylin Smith. The Trojan defensive back officially accepted his invitation to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, the most prestigious and longest continuously-running college all-star game. Smith has 48 total tackles and two interceptions through 10 games this season.

🦃 GOBBLE GOBBLE

Give thanks for Smart & Final! They’ve got everything you need for your Turkey Day spread from sides and desserts to ice, drinks and party supplies. 

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The winning school will receive $1 million to advance student or community health. Individual donors will be offered a free one-month subscription to B1G+ and will be entered to win a trip to the 2024 Discover® Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 7, 2024. Learn More and Give Blood Today.

🗣️ SPREAD THE WORD

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📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

*All times Pacific

Wednesday, November 20
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ NCAA Individual Championships in Waco, TX
🏊️ Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invitational in Austin, TX
🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. San Jose State @ 7 p.m. in Los Angeles, CA | Tickets | Peacock | Listen

Thursday, November 21
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ NCAA Individual Championships in Waco, TX
🏊️ Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invitational in Austin, TX
🏐 Volleyball vs. Northwestern @ 5 p.m. in Evanston, IL | B1G+

Friday, November 22
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ NCAA Individual Championships in Waco, TX
🏊️ Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invitational in Austin, TX
🏊️ Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Trojan Diving Invitational in Los Angeles, CA
🏐 Men’s Volleyball @ UCLA Fall Tournament in Los Angeles, CA
🤽‍♂️ Men’s Water Polo vs. Austin College @ Noon in Westwood, CA | Watch
⚽️ Soccer vs. Saint Louis @ 5 p.m. in Irvine, CA | Tickets | ESPN+

⚔️ Have a great Wednesday, everyone!