USC women’s basketball danced to a 73-55 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Monday night in a packed Galen Center. In dominating fashion, the Trojans advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1994.
USC freshman guard JuJu Watkins finished with a double-double, scoring a game-high 28 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
“She’s an incredible generational talent,” graduate guard McKenzie Forbes said.
Forbes scored 20 points, knocking down six threes in the game.
The Trojans opened the game with all of the momentum, as Watkins carried the load early. Her crafty ability to get into the paint and shooting ability outside gave the Trojans their first seven points.
“We got stops early, and we came out hot; that helped just give us confidence,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
The Trojans’ fast tempo and ball movement allowed them to get their shooters open. Graduate guard Kayla Padilla’s and Forbes’ contributions from beyond the arc had the Trojans’ offense rolling, knocking down eight threes in the first half alone.
In the midst of a hot start for the Trojans, they went on 12-0 to start the second quarter, capped by a Watkins 3-pointer, which rocked the Galen Center and put the Trojans up 15 points.
“It’s been such a blessing to play in front of this crowd,” Forbes said.
Defensively, the Trojans’ suffocating man-to-man defense and quick hands proved pivotal in creating 12 first-half turnovers. The mistake-ridden Jayhawks offense kept the team from getting in any rhythm.
However, Kansas kept fighting, even after a poor offensive performance in the first half. While USC held a double-digit lead for the majority of the first half, the Jayhawks’ back-to-back buckets in the final seconds allowed them to get within 10, going into halftime at 33-24.
After a sluggish start, Kansas came out with newfound energy in the second half, ultimately shifting the game’s tide. The Jayhawks were able to pick up the slack on defense, switching into a zone defense. The new defensive strategy from the Jayhawks rattled Watkins and the Trojans offensive, allowing Kansas to regain some momentum.
Getting out in transition off USC’s poor shots and sloppy turnovers allowed the Jayhawks to build six- and nine-point runs in the third quarter. An explosive offensive performance in the quarter allowed Kansas to pull within one at the 1:20 mark.
However, the Trojans weathered the storm and got back on track in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Jayhawks 20-9. Kansas resorted back to man-to-man defense in the quarter and paid the price. Facing the man-to-man defense, Watkins delivered nine fourth-quarter points to seal the deal.
Down the stretch, USC junior center Clarice Akunwafo provided valuable minutes, utilizing her 6-foot-6 frame to wreak havoc on the Jayhawks’ interior game. Akunwafo allowed nothing inside, blocking a career-high six shots and grabbing three steals.
“Every time she comes into the game, I know that there’s going to be absolutely no drop off,” Watkins said.
The USC Trojans continue to dance in March, facing the 5-seed Baylor Bears in a Sweet 16 matchup in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.