Sophomore JuJu Watkins and her No. 7 USC side narrowly survived a late comeback attempt by No. 4 UConn to win 72-70 on Saturday night in Hartford.
“UConn, they’re the toughest competitors,” Watkins admitted after her side avenged their loss to the Huskies in last year’s Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in a bold claim about their opponents.
Watkins came to play, scoring her customary 25 points on 9/16 shooting to go along with her six rebounds and five assists. “We knew had to get the W, coming off of last year this was really important for me. I gave it my all, this team gave it her all,” she continued. On the year, she’s averaging 24.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
UConn star Paige Bueckers didn’t have her strongest game, converting just nine of her 22 shots for 22 points. But their duel turned into another classic down the stretch, going down to the wire after USC’s fast start.
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USC entered the fourth quarter leading 57-49 before UConn whittled away at the lead, eventually taking the lead 65-64 with under five minutes to play.
However, Watkins hit a clutch-and-one (converting the free throw) to put the Trojans back in front. While the Huskies tied the game shortly after, they never took the lead.
Sarah Strong led the way for UConn, scoring 22 points to go along with 13 rebounds, five assists, and four steals in a strong all-around display.
Bueckers (L) and Watkins (M) are two leading contenders for the National Player of the Year Award (
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Getty Images)
It wasn’t enough as UConn dropped its second game of the season – the first being a 79-68 road loss to Notre Dame. The Huskies’s schedule softens a bit, with matchups against Providence, Marquette, and Villanova looming.
Bueckers, a leading candidate for Naismith Player of the Year with her 20.6 points per game scoring average, and UConn don’t face another ranked opponent until they take on Tennessee in February.
Watkins and the Trojans face ranked opponents in three of their next four games: No. 20 Michigan, No. 23 Nebraska, and No. 8 Maryland.
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The sensational sophomore was more than happy to escape Connecticut on Saturday with the victory. She was asked on the FOX broadcast: “Juju, you came to USC in part to return this program to greatness. You come into Hartford and beat UConn. What does that say about what you’re accomplishing at USC?
“This is a surreal moment for me,” Watkins answered. “[There’s] so much history in this building. We were just glad that we got the W and gave it our all.”
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