USC Trojans' JuJu Watkins Scores 31 Points In Win Over Michigan Wolverines

The No. 4 USC Trojans women’s basketball team defeated the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines, 78-58. The Trojans now stand at 12-1, 2-0 in Big Ten conference play. USC guard JuJu Watkins stood out, scoring a game-high 31 points to help lead the Women of Troy to victory.
Watkins has been a playmaker since joining the USC Trojans. In her second season with USC, she is not slowing down. Against the Wolverines, Watkins did not just score 31 points, she scored a game-high seven assists and five rebounds. Watkins also had three steals, three blocked shots, and only turned the ball over once in 37 minutes.
Michigan did keep the game close, and the Trojans could have played better in the third quarter. USC led the match with just a three point lead at halftime and Michigan put up a fight in the third quarter to make the lead go back and forth. In the final minutes of the quarter, the Trojans began to run away with the game.
After the win against Michigan, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb spoke to the media about the Trojans picking it up towards the end for a big in-conference win.
“I’m really impressed with the job [Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico] has done with her young team. They’re a legit top 25 team. We were not pleased with some of the things we did early but to be able to respond to that and show who we are and what we’re capable of is important for us,” Gottlieb said. “I thought Ju was brilliant. The points obviously but just making so many good decisions and seven assists to one turnover and defense she played.”
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Watkins talked after the win about how she adjusts in close games. The USC star talked about how she focuses on playing smart and patient.
“It’s just a matter of playing smart and patient and controlled,” Watkins said. “I think when I talked with pro players, Damar and Kyrie, they all emphasized playing smart. And I think for Damar, it’s like knowing when to attack and knowing how to set the defense up so they think you’re trying to figure things out, but then you already figured it out. So, it’s just having that patience and really trusting the team because we practice for moments like this. So, it’s just a matter of reading the floor for me and try to be as efficient as I can.”
Watkins is leading the team this season with 25.2 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Watkins has earned two Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week awards this season. Her 31-point game against the Wolverines helped lead USC to an eight-game winning streak. It also marked USC’s first Big Ten win at home.
USC forward Kiki Iriafen also had a big game despite playing just 21 minutes. Iriafen was limited due to foul troubles. Iriafen scored 18 points. In the fourth quarter when USC was running away with the game, Iriafen went 8-0 on her own. USC forward Raya Marshall scored 15 points with five rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
The USC Trojans are now 12-1, 2-0 in Big Ten conference play. The Women of Troy will face the 10-3 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Galen Center on Jan. 1 at 12 p.m. PT.
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