JuJu Watkins dropped 31 points as the USC women’s basketball team overcame a determined Indiana Hoosiers squad, securing their spot in the semi-finals of the Big Ten women’s tournament.
Throughout Friday’s matchup, Watkins and her teammates steadily built leads, but the Hoosiers remained tenacious. Despite the pressure, USC maintained their composure, ultimately clinching an 84-79 victory.
This performance marked Watkins’ seventh game of the season scoring over 30 points, contributing to the Trojans’ impressive eighth consecutive win as they gear up for a promising postseason journey.
Watkins ignited the game with her signature euro-step layup, netting 16 points in the first half. She showcased her offensive prowess by driving aggressively to the basket for finger rolls and drawing fouls, converting all six of her free-throw attempts. Her two pull-up mid-range jumpers helped USC secure a four-point lead at halftime.
The Hoosiers briefly took a 44-43 lead early in the second half, but Watkins quickly responded with two off-balance floaters, including an and-one that shifted momentum back to USC at 53-48.
As the third quarter closed, Indiana narrowed the gap to two points. However, Watkins scored seven crucial points in the final quarter, including a pivotal 3-pointer with 2:42 left, extending the Trojans’ lead to 77-68, their largest advantage of the game. Remarkably, she played almost the entire game, recording three steals and ten rebounds, marking her seventh double-double of the season.
USC forward Kiki Iriafen contributed significantly with 21 points and ten rebounds, while Avery Howell added ten points, including two 3-pointers. This game was the Trojans’ first in the Big Ten Tournament following their regular-season championship, achieved through two victories over No. 4 UCLA. The path to the tournament title may lead them back to the Bruins.
With a record of 27-2 overall and 17-1 in the Big Ten, USC is set to face fifth-seeded Michigan (22-9, 11-7) in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Yarden Garzon led the Hoosiers with 23 points, hitting five of her six shots from beyond the arc, while Shay Ciezki added 15 points. Indiana’s two-game winning streak came to an end with this loss.
The Trojans seemed poised to pull away after a 13-4 run gave them a 55-48 lead late in the third quarter, but Indiana responded, closing the gap to 59-57 entering the fourth quarter. USC again surged ahead with a 9-3 run, pushing the score to 71-63 with 5:15 remaining.
The Hoosiers could not recover from this setback.
Takeaways
For Indiana, the win over Oregon likely secured an NCAA Tournament bid. Friday’s performance solidified their standing, showcasing coach Teri Moren’s game plan in action, despite the loss being closer than anticipated.
USC faced challenges during the game, at times appearing sluggish offensively and struggling with defensive fouls. Nonetheless, they managed to survive and advance, demonstrating their resilience.
Key moment
When Indiana trimmed the deficit to 71-68 late in the fourth quarter, USC responded decisively with consecutive 3-pointers from Talia von Oelhoffen and Watkins, extending their lead to its largest of the game.
Key stat
Indiana excelled at the free-throw line, converting 24 of 25 attempts to remain competitive.
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