JuJu Watkins, USC Amaze WCBB Fans with Upset Road Win vs. Paige Bueckers, No. 4 UConn
December 22, 2024
In a clash between two teams vying to keep just one loss on their record, the USC Trojans defeated the UConn Huskies 72-70 on Saturday night at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
No. 4 ranked UConn dropped to 10-2 as the No. 7 Trojans improved to 11-1 as USC's JuJu Watkins led the Trojans with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists, one steal and three blocks while shooting 56 percent from the field. Kiki Iriafen added 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to the victory.
UConn's Paige Bueckers finished the night with 22 points, three rebounds and two assists while shooting 9-of-22 from the field in the loss. Freshman Sarah Strong added 22 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Fans took to social media to praise USC for their stunning upset over the No. 4 Huskies.
USC entered halftime with a commanding 42-29 lead, capped off by a two-point jumper from Iriafen to close out the second quarter.
Out of halftime, Watkins sank a two-pointer to extend USC's lead to 15 points, followed by a three-point assist to Kennedy Smith, pushing the advantage to 18 points. Bueckers responded with a two-point shot to put UConn on the board in the second half, trying to halt the bleeding.
The two teams battled down to the wire as UConn tied the game at 67-67 late in the fourth quarter, thanks to a layup from Bueckers. However, the comeback fell short as USC outscored the Huskies 21-17 in the final period, capped off by with two free throws from Watkins.
Turnovers and missed three-point attempts ultimately sealed UConn's fate, as they committed 18 turnovers compared to USC's 13 and shot just 26 percent from beyond the arc.
USC will aim to extend their seven-game winning streak when they host the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines on Sunday.