JuJu Watkins and McKenzie Forbes lead USC past Texas A&M 87-55 to advance to the 2nd Round
USC Trojans #12 JuJu Watkins (G) being guarded by Texas A&M #24 Voleta Verano (G). Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1
LOS ANGELES, CA - The #1 seed USC Trojans dominated on defense in the first quarter and scored 35 points in the third quarter to knock off the #16 seed California Baptist Lancers 87-55 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Galen Center.
Both JuJu Watkins and McKenzie Forbes, with 23 points, led the Trojans in scoring, followed by Rayah Marshall with 10 points and 11 rebounds and Kayla Padilla with 10 points. Mireia Aguado led the Islanders in scoring, with 15 points, and Alecia Westbrook with 12 points.
Watkins also made history, passing Cheryl Miller for the single-season scoring record, scoring 833 points, and capping off her first NCAA Tournament Game as a Trojan.
"I'm just grateful honestly," Watkins said. "Coach Gottlieb has so much trust in me, and I'm grateful for that, and my teammates have so much trust in me. I'm just grateful to be mentioned with Cheryl and being a part of the Trojan legacy."
The poor shooting for Texas A&M from three-point range caught up with them during the game, just 2 of 15, while USC made 10 of 26 was the difference of the game.
Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders #13 Alecia Westbrook (F) is going up strong for a shot attempt against the USC Trojans #34 Clarice Akunwafo (C). Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.
JuJu Watkins started her NCAA Tournament career by knocking down a three-pointer to give USC a 3-2 lead. The Trojans went up 10-2 with a layup by Rayah Marshall. Back-to-back baskets by Kaitlyn Davis gave USC a 14-2 lead. Watkins showed her defensive skills by blocking Annukka Willstedt's shot while going up for a layup.
Forbes drove to the basket for a layup to give the Trojans a 17-2 lead, forcing Texas A&M to call a timeout with 1:56 left in the quarter. The Trojans led at the end of the quarter 21-4 after a layup by Alicia Westbrook from the Islanders before the buzzer went off.
Texas A&M trailed in the second quarter 22-6 after a layup by Mireia Aguado. USC led by fourteen points, 24-10, with a jump shot by Watkins at the top of the key.
The Trojans went on a 6-0 run, capped off by Watkins stealing the basketball for a layup, giving them a 30-15 lead with 2:42 left before halftime. USC led at halftime 36-20 after a three-pointer by Taylor Bigby. The poise by Watkins, as a freshman, made the first half easy for the Trojans as she ran their offense.
USC Trojans #2 India Otto (G) three-point shot from the right side of the basket. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.
"She had a terrific debut and made all the right decisions," USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "JuJu handles the weight of everything with just a grace you can't describe."
USC was cruising in the third quarter, 51-34, after Padilla threw a pass to Forbes for a jump shot on the right side of the basket. The Islanders trailed 60-39 when Paige Allen scored on a jump shot. USC led by thirty points at the end of the third quarter, 71-41.
USC was up 77-48 in the fourth quarter when Watkins scored on a driving layup. The buzz of the game was when 5th year India Otto came in the game with 1:09 left on the clock, made a layup and came back down court, and knocked down a three-pointer that sent the USC bench and fans into a frenzy as they led 87-53, as Texas A&M fell to USC.