JuJu leads Trojans to the Sweet 16

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (News4usonline) –  USC started its second-round game of the NCAA Women’s Tournament against Kansas with defense. The Trojans finished the contest the same way to cruise to a 73-55 win at Galen Center to move on to the Sweet 16.  

“Getting to the Sweet 16 is hard and this team earned that,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game. “I couldn’t be more proud. I thought today was our team on display. We are a team, right? I’m glad that the country got to see that. Ju is spectacular. They had to change and go to a zone because of her attacking early on.” 

JuJu Watkins proved to be the difference-maker in this ballgame, scoring seven of her game-high 28 points in the first quarter to kickstart USC offensively. 

Watkins’ aggressive play also spurred the way the Trojans played defense most of the night. USC forced Kansas into 18 turnovers for the game and scored 25 points off of the miscues by the Jayhawks. The Trojans also recorded 10 blocked shots.  

The win by the Trojans was made even more special because it’s been 30 years since USC played in the Sweet 16 round. McKenzie Forbes, who added 20 points for the Trojans, talked about Watkins and the big moment for the women’s basketball program.  

“I think it means a lot to both of us. I think, speaking for myself, it’s a blessing to play by her side. She’s an incredible generational talent,” Forbes said. “I think you guys have seen that on display. Yeah, just feel really lucky to be a part of the group that kind of brought it back and also shine a light on the legends who came before us. So it’s just been really fun to see this place come back to life.”

USC breezed by Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament with a double-digit win. The Trojans had a much tougher time against the Jayhawks. 

The Jayhawks earned the right to play the Trojans by running down Michigan with a thrilling overtime win in the first round. Kansas went on a 37-19 run in the fourth quarter and overtime to knock the Wolverines out of the tournament. The keys in the second round for both the Trojans and the Jayhawks would be ball control, rebounding and turnovers. 

Kansas came into the game with one of the best backcourts in the nation with Wyvette Mayberry and Zakiyah Franklin. On the other hand, USC countered with Watkins. 

If the guards were going to be the difference in this ballgame, the Trojans came into the contest with the edge with Watkins being a certified All-American and one of the dominant forces in women’s college basketball.  

Watkins came out and made her mark early, scoring the first seven points of the game for the Trojans and assisting on another bucket. Eventually, Kansas managed to claw its way back into the game. Then with two minutes left in the first quarter, Watkins was sent to the bench to take a seat after picking up her second personal foul. 

That didn’t slow the Trojans down. USC finished the period strong, taking a 17-9 lead to the second quarter. USC built that advantage by playing defense. The Trojans held the Jayhawks to 21 percent shooting from the field and had four blocked shots against their smaller opponents. 

The pressure the Trojans put on the Jayhawks carried over to other parts of their defense. Of the 17 points USC scored in the first quarter, 13 came off of turnovers. Kansas turned the ball over six times in the opening period. 

Kansas was able to open up its offense in the second quarter, but McKenzie Forbes connected on four of her eight 3-point ties in the second period to help the Trojans to maintain a 33-24-point lead at halftime.   

At times, the Trojans looked and played like a No. 1 seed. At other times, USC appeared to be unnerved a bit as Kansas kept hanging around. At the beginning of the third quarter, USC’s offense became stagnant as the Jayhawks went on a scoring surge. 

By midway in the third period, Kansas was starting to feel their offensive mojo as they cut the lead of the Trojans down to one point. Yes, it was getting to be a little unnerving for the Trojans and their fans. 

Watkins restored order when she jacked some life back into the Trojans’ offense with a 3-pointer and made a pair of free throws to give USC some breathing room with 39 seconds left in the period. The Trojans went into the fourth quarter with a seven-point advantage. 

That lead quickly went back to 10 points when Kayla Padilla dropped in a long 3-pointer for the Trojans at the beginning of the fourth quarter. That edge grew to 16 points as the Trojans found their offensive groove again. 

After a period of tense activity, the Trojans played like they were having fun. The scoreboard reflected this as much. 

For Watkins, this is the right place for her at the right time. 

“I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Watkins said. “From our staff to our president to our athletic director, I mean, so many great people that have invested into this program and our success is a product of all of them buying in, so I’m just grateful to be here.”