In the victory of USC over UConn, Juju Watkins outperformed Paige Bueckers.
On a jam-packed sports Saturday featuring both professional and college events, the women's basketball clash between UConn Huskies' Paige Bueckers and USC Trojans' Juju Watkins stood out during primetime.
Both teams brought 10-1 records and top-10 rankings to this early-season encounter, playing before a packed XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
Watkins led the way with a game-high 25 points, scoring at a 56% clip, while benefiting from the support of forward Kiki Iriafen, who contributed 16 points, 8 rebounds, and a team-high 6 assists as USC's second offensive option.
USC, ranked 7th, edged out 4th-ranked UConn Huskies 72-70 in a hard-fought road victory. Bueckers, in response, managed 22 points, though she was not as efficient, converting 9 out of 22 field goals. Fellow Huskies' player Strong, a freshman sensation, recorded 22 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, while also dishing 5 assists and swiping 4 steals.
Strong was fouled outside the three-point line with 5 seconds remaining and the Huskies trailing 72-69. She converted the first free throw but missed the second, intentionally, aiming for an additional shot attempt.
On the miss, Bueckers secured the rebound and passed it to Strong, who attempted a desperation three-point shot as time expired, only to see it miss the mark, sealing UConn's first home loss of the season.
USC Starts Strong, Almost Falls Short
USC started strong with an 9-0 lead and expanded it to 18 by the first half of the third quarter (51-33). Juju contributed 19 of her 25 points during this stretch, scoring from various areas of the court.
From thereon, UConn mounted a comeback, putting together a 32-13 run to take their initial lead of the game at 65-64, thanks to Strong's layup in the game's final minutes. Juju's free throws restored USC's lead, and UConn couldn't get closer than a 67-67 tie after Bueckers' bucket with 2 minutes and 24 seconds left.
Paige vs Juju Showdown
Both Bueckers and Watkins served as each other's occasional defensive assignments throughout the match. Despite being doubled most of the night, Juju set the game's pace as USC's offensive facilitator. In the decisive fourth quarter, Juju contributed to 11 of USC's 17 points, while Bueckers only managed to contribute to 7 of UConn's 21 points in the final frame.
USC will return to Big 10 conference play on Sunday, Dec. 29, hosting the Michigan Wolverines, while UConn will face Providence Friars in Big East play on the same date.
After their impressive performance during the primetime clash, USC Trojans' Juju Watkins and UConn Huskies' Paige Bueckers are set to face different opponents in their next games. Juju will lead USC against the Michigan Wolverines in Big 10 conference play on December 29, while Paige will take on the Providence Friars in Big East action on the same day. In their previous encounter, Juju outshone Paige, scoring a game-high 25 points, while Paige managed 22 points in a hard-fought 72-70 road victory for USC.
