JuJu Watkins leads No. 7 USC to 72-70 win against No. 4 UConn
The USC Trojans (11-1, 1-0) had to battle to the end in posting a huge road win over the No. 4 Connecticut Huskies on Saturday night. Star sophomore JuJu Watkins had a game-high 25 points and the Trojans shot 49% from the floor in a 72-70 win that wasn’t decided until the game’s final moments.
The Trojans got off to a stellar start at the XL Center in Hartford. Watkins scored 15 points in the first half and the Trojans shot 7-for-11 from three-point range in building a 42-29 lead over the first 20 minutes. The USC stretched to 18 points several times during the third quarter, but the Huskies put a 16-4 run together over the final 5:33 of the third quarter. Another UConn flurry to open the fourth quarter resulted in a one-point lead for the Huskies, 65-64, with just 4:34 remaining in the game. It was UConn’s only lead of the game, but the Huskies made everything difficult for the Trojans down the stretch.
Watkins answered on the next possession as she converted a three-point play on a pull-up jumper with a foul. After UConn star Paige Bueckers scored two of her 22 points to tie the game at 67 with 2:24 remaining, Watkins did it again on the offensive end. Except this time, she drove into the lane and dished to Rayah Marshall for an open layup and a 69-67 USC lead with 1:24 to go. Watkins connected on three free throws around another UConn bucket, but then she fouled UConn’s Sarah Strong on a three-point attempt with just five seconds left and the Trojans leading 72-69. Strong made the first, missed the second, then missed the third but corralled the loose ball well beyond the three-point line and missed a desperation shot at the buzzer that would have won it for the Huskies.
USC forward Kiki Iriafen posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. She also had a game-high six assists.
USC freshman guard Kennedy Smith returned from an injury that had sidelined her since November 15. She scored nine points and grabbed three rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
Top 10
- 1Hot
Kirk Herbstreit
Shot fired at First Take, Stephen A. Smith
- 2New
Ohio State vs. Oregon odds
Early Rose Bowl line released
- 3
Updated CFP Bracket
Quarterfinal matchups set
- 4Trending
Paul Finebaum
ESPN host rips CFP amid blowout
- 5
Klatt blasts Kiffin
Ole Miss HC called out for tweets
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
USC shot 9-for-16 from three-point range as Smith and Watkins both hit three.
UConn star Paige Bueckers scored 22 points but needed 22 shots to do it as she went just 9-for-22 from the floor and 2-for-8 from beyond the arc.
The Trojans loaded up their nonconference schedule with several huge matchups this year. USC opened the season with a win against then-No. 20 Ole Miss and lost a tough one to then-No. 6 Notre Dame at home. This one is a huge win against a No. 4 UConn team that already had three ranked wins this season.
The schedule doesn’t get much easier for the Trojans. USC is 1-0 in conference play having beaten Oregon in early December. But now they truly launch into Big Ten play.
USC gets No. 20 Michigan and No. 23 Nebraska at home on Dec. 29 and Jan. 1. The Trojans then travel to Rutgers and No. 8 Maryland the following week.
