USC will now have to take on Paige Bueckers and UConn in the Elite Eight. (Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
(Tyler Schank via Getty Images)
USC survived in its first game without JuJu Watkins on Saturday night in Spokane, though just barely.
But with the way Paige Bueckers is playing for UConn, the Trojans may be in some serious trouble come Monday night.
Advertisement
Advertisement
No. 1 USC snuck out a tight 67-61 win over No. 5 Kansas State at Spokane Arena on Saturday night to secure a second straight trip to the Elite Eight in the women’s NCAA tournament. That’s something the program hasn’t done since it won back-to-back national championships in the 1980s.
The win sets up a rematch with UConn, which beat the Trojans in the same round last season to make it into the Final Four.
Watkins tore her ACL in her right knee in the Trojans’ blowout win over Mississippi State in the second round of the tournament on Monday. The USC star crashed down to the court while trying to drive to the hoop, and had to be carried off the floor. The school quickly confirmed the season-ending injury that night after the win.
Watkins averaged 23.9 points and 6.8 rebounds this season for the Trojans while leading them to a top seed in the tournament for the second straight year. They’ve also won 30 games this season, which is the team’s best campaign since 1986.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Watkins remained home in Los Angeles, but she was with the team in spirit.
Despite losing Watkins, the Trojans still reached the Sweet 16 behind a huge effort from forward Kiki Iriafen — who dropped a season-high 36 points in the 37-point blowout win over the Bulldogs. The senior has averaged 18.6 points, which is the best output on the team after Watkins, and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game.
While they looked very solid without her Thursday, it was a very different story on Saturday night. Both teams combined to shoot just 3-of-21 to start the game, and Kansas State ended up taking a two-point lead into the locker room at halftime. USC appeared as if it was going to take off in the third, thanks to a big 14-4 run late in the period, but Kansas State limited the damage and entered the last quarter down by just a single possession.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The Wildcats then tied it up early in the fourth quarter, and they hung with USC nearly the rest of the way. While the Trojans’ last field goal came at the 4:35 mark, they hit eight free throws — and came up with a huge defensive stop after a late turnover — to end the game and escape with the six-point win.
Serena Sundell led Kansas State with 22 points, six rebounds and six assists in the loss. Ayoka Lee added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Jaelyn Glenn finished with 10 points. The Wildcats were playing in just their third-ever Sweet 16.
The Trojans survived thanks to a combined 37 points from freshman Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell — both of whom averaged single-digit figures all season. Smith led the way with 19 points, 11 of which came in the first quarter, and shot 7-of-14 from the field. Howell finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. The Trojans shot just 38.5% from the field and made only six 3-pointers on the night, four of which were Howell’s.
Advertisement
Advertisement
While USC is now into the Elite Eight, Bueckers and the Huskies are waiting for them on Monday night. Bueckers dropped a career-high 40 points to lead them rolling past Oklahoma earlier on Saturday. She set numerous school records in that outing and outscored the Sooners single-handedly in the second half.
Even though the Trojans are capable of hanging in there, it’s going to take a much better shooting night to truly challenge Bueckers and UConn.
