Kiki Iriafen prevails against Mississippi in the USC women's opener in Paris

PARIS— Kiki Iriafen hit two free throws with 10 seconds left to beat No. 20 Mississippi 68-66 in a season-opening doubleheader in France on Monday.

Iriafen, an Associated Press preseason All-America selection, finished with 22 points, while teammate JuJu Watkins led USC with 27 points.

KK Deans scored 19 points for Mississippi. Madison Scott added 14.

With less than two minutes left, Deans hit a jump shot from near midcourt to give Mississippi a 66-64 lead.

The 8,000-seat Adidas Arena, home of the Paris men's basketball team, was about half full.

Takeaways

USC: The Trojans gave the ball away too often and were sometimes careless in defense, leaving the opposing shooters wide open from three-point range.

Mississippi: The Rebels kept coming back, leading 16-15 at the end of the first quarter and then fighting back from an 11-point halftime deficit. They outscored USC 40-31 in the second half.

Key moment: After doing so much to pull her team back into the game from the floor – including a game-high four three-pointers – Deans was fouled with 10 seconds left. She walked away with her head down as USC pressed its advantage.

Key Stats: Mississippi was seven of 23 from three-point range while USC was just one of 11.

Next: USC faces Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday at the Galen Center. Mississippi hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday.