HARTFORD, Conn. — JuJu Watkins scored 25 factors and No. 7 USC recovered from blowing an 18-point lead within the second half to beat Paige Bueckers and fourth-ranked UConn 72-70 on Saturday evening.
The sport was a rematch of final season’s Elite Eight contest that the Huskies gained and featured two of the very best gamers in girls’s school basketball with All-Americans Bueckers and Watkins. The pair guarded one another for a lot of the sport.
For Watkins, it was her fourth profession 25-point sport in six matchups in opposition to AP top-five groups. No different participant has greater than two such video games over the previous two seasons.
Bueckers, in the meantime, completed with 22 factors.
With the sport tied at 67, Watkins handed the ball to Rayah Marshall for a layup with 1:21 left to offer USC the lead.
After a miss by the Huskies, Watkins was fouled with 31 seconds left. She missed the primary of two free throws because the ball sat on the rim for a couple of seconds earlier than falling off. She made the second to offer the Trojans (11-1) a 70-67 benefit.
UConn (10-2), which trailed 51-33 within the third quarter earlier than rallying, answered with a basket by Sarah Strong to get inside one level, 4 seconds later.
Watkins then hit two free throws with 19.5 seconds left to make it 72-69.
The Huskies had one final likelihood to tie when Strong was fouled taking pictures a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left. She made the primary free throw, however missed the second. The freshman missed the third deliberately and UConn acquired the rebound. It ultimately went out to Strong, whose desperation heave on the buzzer was off.
Takeaways
USC: This was the Trojans’ first take a look at since shedding to Notre Dame on Nov. 23. Now they face three ranked Big Ten groups of their subsequent 4 video games.
UConn: This was the second top-10 workforce the Huskies have confronted this season and they’re now 0-2 after additionally falling to Notre Dame.
Key second
Earlier within the third quarter, Watkins blocked Bueckers’ shot then took the ball to the opposite finish and scored after going by way of her legs with UConn’s star guarding her.
Key stat
A sport after hitting a school-record 20 3-pointers, UConn was simply 6-for-23 from behind the 3-point arc.
Up subsequent
USC: hosts Michigan on Dec. 29.
UConn: hosts Providence on Dec. 29.
Information from The Associated Press was used on this report.
