USC defeats Colorado, 87-81, behind JuJu Watkins' 42 points Buffalo-style
USC Trojans #12 JuJu Watkins (G) is going around a screen set by her teammate #13 Rayah Marshall (C/F). Photo by Marja Baker/TGSportstv1.
LOS ANGELES— USC Trojans had a huge victory against Oregon State and are now back at the Galen Center to play against the Lady Buffaloes. In the previous match, Colorado defeated USC 63-59, which was USC's third loss of the season.
Colorado has lost their last two games, while the Trojans have won their last six games as they head into Friday's game. JuJu Watkins is leading her team by scoring 27.5 points per game, which is only second to Iowa's Caitlin Clark with 32.4 points per game this season.
It's amazing to witness the transformation of their basketball program this season. As the regular season is about to end, Lindsay Gottlieb is preparing her team for the most exciting part of the year, the Pac-12 Tournament and March Madness.
Watkins kicked off the game with a quick eight points, starting with a defensive rebound that she took to the rim while getting fouled and finishing with a basket. The crowd went wild after the play.
Despite Colorado's attempts to stop Watkins on offense, they could not do it without fouling her in the first quarter. Later in the same quarter, Watkins walked up the ball and immediately pulled up in transition to sink another three-pointer, giving the Trojans a 22-17 lead.
Colorado Buffaloes #21 Aaronette Vonleh (C) is going up with a left-handed hook shot after posting up in the key. Photo by Marja Baker/TGSportstv1.
Aaronette Vonleh from Colorado scored seven points in the first quarter. She was three for five from the field. Jaylyn Sherrod from Colorado was also impressive, as she got everyone involved in the offense but was also aggressive on the boards.
Sherrod played aggressive defense on Watkins, but it was not enough to slow her down in the first half. Watkins got a break after playing continuously since the start of the game when there was 5:16 left in the second quarter.
McKenzie Forbes proved to be a tough challenge for the Buffaloes defense. Forbes scored 14 points and collected six assists in the first half alone. She was 4 of 4 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Kayla Padilla from USC also contributed to their lead by hitting two three-pointers toward the end of the first half, which helped the Trojans take a comfortable 47-34 lead.
The Trojans bench in the first half did not score, while Colorado scored 14 points. However, USC managed to score nine fast break points. Unfortunately, they could not stop the Buffaloes from finishing the half strong with a 9-0 run. At halftime, USC was still leading with a score of 47-43.
In the second half, USC had a slow start while the Buffaloes led for a moment briefly. However, Forbes picked up the pace in the third quarter, scoring 7 points to help her team take a 67-61 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Watking made a three-pointer in front of her bench, which gave her 31 points. With this, Watkins has set a new USC single-season record by having 11 games with 30 or more points, surpassing the previous record set by Cheryl Miller during the 1984-1985 season.
Sherrod had a tough time guarding Watkins throughout the game and eventually fouled out early in the fourth quarter. Despite her efforts, Sherrod managed to score 11 points, grab four rebounds, and provide three assists.
On the other hand, Quay Miller played an efficient game for the Buffaloes, finishing with 12 points, including 2 out of 3 three-pointers. Colorado's defense played brilliantly, forcing USC to commit 19 turnovers, with Watkins being responsible for ten turnovers.
USC Trojans #25 McKenzie Forbes (G/F) is about to go around a screen set by her teammate #13 Rayah Marshall. Photo by Marja Baker/TGSportstv1.
The Trojans won 87-81 against Colorado, extending their winning streak to seven games. Forbes had 24 points and seven assists as she played all 40 minutes, making 5 of 6 three-point shots.
USC was impressive from beyond the arc, making 13 of 19 shots. The atmosphere at the Galen Center was amazing as Gottlieb and Watkins expressed their gratitude for their fans’ support.
"Some people are coming in here for the first time to see us play, so we kinda have that pride to where we want them to come back and feel the type of energy that we could bring every night to Galen," said Watkins postgame.
Watkins attributed her successful season to her coach and praised her as the best ever. "Coach Lindsay is like the best coach ever, honestly," said Watkins after the game.
Utah will be the next opponent, as the team plays its last home game of the regular season on Sunday afternoon. The seniors will be honored, and the team will aim for its eighth win in a row.