No. 21 USC Trojans Upset No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes in Season Opener In Las Vegas
The No. 21 USC Trojans took down the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes 83-74 Monday, thanks to freshman guard Juju Watkins’ 32 points at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, setting the tone for a big season and giving the Big Ten a lot of talent to look forward to next season.
Watkins said she’s glad to be a part of a deep “USC legacy.”
“Don’t underestimate USC,” Watkins said postgame. “We’re on the rise, we’re in the gym 24/7, working on ways to get better.”
Watkins and junior center Rayah Marshall took over the Trojans on both ends of the floor. Marshall finished with 18 points, 17 rebounds, six steals and two blocks to shut down Ohio State’s fast-paced offense.
The teams went back and forth all game. The Buckeyes started off hot from three, going 4-10 from behind the arc. The Trojans stayed with Ohio State and pulled away in the second after going down 18-15 in the first.
USC came out firing from all cylinders in the second quarter, thanks to freshman forward Juju Watkins. The former No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2023 had 16 points in the first half, including going 100 percent from the line.
The Trojans went up 46-28 at halftime. But the Buckeyes were not done yet.
Despite an 18-point hole, Ohio State came out of the half looking like a new team. Led by senior guard Jacy Sheldon’s 12 points and junior forward Taylor Thierry’s 10, the Buckeyes turned the game around.
Ohio State went on a 19-2 run in the third quarter and eventually took a one-point lead off an and-one layup from Sheldon to shift the momentum in favor of the Buckeyes. Ohio State led after the third quarter 58-55.
Although the Trojans let up in the third, they shut the Buckeyes down to end the game. Behind eight fourth-quarter points from graduate guard McKenzie Forbes, the Trojans took the Buckeyes down, putting up 28 points in the final quarter.
Once USC switched from man defense to a 2-3 zone, they started to lock down the Buckeyes. They forced four fourth-quarter turnovers in the final stretch alone and had 17 points off the 14 total Buckeye turnovers in the game.
Ohio State’s Sheldon finished with 28 points and five steals in 37 minutes, helping the Buckeyes force 20 turnovers. Though they picked up where they left off on the defensive end last year, they couldn’t stop Watkins nor effectively press the Trojans full court the whole game.
Head coach Kevin McGuff said the press was “spotty at best” and the team has to be “all or nothing” if they go baseline to baseline.
Graduate transfer guard, and reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year with Duke, Celeste Taylor had a poor debut with the Buckeyes, posting seven points in 35 minutes and fouling out. She had problems containing USC’s Watkins, especially 1-on-1.
Sheldon said she knows Taylor will adjust to both sides of the ball because she has been the leader for a top team like the Blue Devils last year. She added that Taylor is very aware and is “fun to play with, easy to play with.”
McGuff said Ohio State will grow from seeing the film and being “satisfied with the opportunities” they get as a top team in the country.
“We get the benefit of learning a lot about our team, what we did well, and certainly, more importantly, what we didn’t do well,” McGuff said.
The Buckeyes come home to Columbus on Sunday to face IUPUI at 1 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center.
