NCAA: How JuJu Watkins, USC Trojans beat Paige Bueckers, UConn Huskies

The matchup between No. 4 UConn and No. 7 USC was as highly anticipated as a college basketball game played in December can be, with 15,684 packing the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Superstar players were on each side, with none bigger than USC’s JuJu Watkins and UConn’s Paige Bueckers.

The two put on a show, but with the result hanging in the balance, it was Watkins who hit clutch free throws down the stretch, while UConn’s Sarah Strong missed two free throws and was way off on a desperation 3-pointer as the Huskies attempt to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

USC got some revenge for their Elite Eight loss to UConn with the 72-70 victory on Saturday night.

Both sides saw some incredible performances from their key players. Watkins, the sophomore superstar, continues to strengthen her case as the best player in college basketball by scoring 25 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out five assists and blocking three shots in the win. Senior forward Kiki Iriafen added a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds; she also had six assists.

For UConn, Bueckers did everything she could to protect home court. The redshirt senior guard scored 22 points, but struggled to score efficiently, going 9-for-22 from the field. The freshman Strong had a generally good game, scoring 22 points and grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds. However, the free throws she missed late that could’ve sent the game to overtime will haunt her and dampen an overall productive night. After the loss, Bueckers defended her young teammate, stating that the loss was not on Strong, reminding that they were only still in the game due to her efforts:

Just to be clear, that game was not won or lost with those three free throws. Sarah was a huge part of that second half comeback and the reason we were even in the game.

But for her to continue to show up on this stage and continue to play as well as she has, continue to affect the game in so many different ways, whether it be rebounding, defending, assisting, and scoring… I don’t want people to get the wrong impression that she didn’t impact this game tremendously in a very positive way. And this game was not decided in the last minute with those free throws.

While the game was tight down the stretch, the beginning was all USC. The Trojans started on a 9-0 run, getting buckets from Watkins, Iriafen and senior big Rayah Marshall. Strong put UConn on the board with a pair of free throws, and Bueckers converted on a jumper. The intensity then began to increase as both teams got comfortable.

After a layup from freshman center Jana El Alfy, UConn was down by just one point. However, Watkins responded with a jumper, and USC stayed in control, going on a 7-0 run. Both teams exchanged baskets during the rest of the opening quarter, and USC came out on top, leading 24-15 entering the second quarter.

The rest of the first half was all USC. The Huskies went on several long stretches without scoring in the second quarter, and the Trojans took advantage. USC found a rhythm from beyond the arc, hitting three 3-pointers midway through the second to lead 38-25.

Bueckers ended the run with a 3-pointer, thanks to an assist from Azzi Fudd. Fudd playing is good news for UConn, big picture-wise. The grad guard had missed three games due to a knee sprain she suffered in UConn’s matchup with Louisville on Dec. 7. But, her presence wasn’t enough to slow down the Trojans, and they entered the halftime break with a commanding 42-29 lead.

During the entire game, Watkins and Bueckers embraced the challenge of defending each other. They were often matched up and neither hesitated, going aggressively at the star on the other side. Early in the third quarter, Watkins took advantage of this one-on-one matchup, rejecting a Bueckers shot and scoring on the other end of the floor.

After another Iriafen layup, USC was ahead by 18, their largest lead of the night. For most teams playing against the Trojans, this deficit would be too much to overcome. The Huskies, however, aren’t an ordinary team. Strong and Bueckers scored four-straight points and chipped away at the lead. Grad guard Talia von Oelhoffen converted on a jumper for USC, and then UConn went on a run.

Sophomore guard KK Arnold and Strong made back-to-back layups, then sophomore guard Ashlynn Shade and Bueckers hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and the Huskies were back in it, down by just six points. Iriafen ended the scoring drought with a jumper, but Arnold gave UConn another bucket, and it was a 55-49 USC lead with 10 minutes to play.

The final frame felt like the best round of a heavyweight boxing match. Both teams exchanged baskets, and the intensity ratcheted up to nearly a playoff-like atmosphere. Watkins had looked like the best player on the floor for most of the night, but Bueckers made her case in the fourth. She found freshman guard Morgan Cheli for a 3-pointer, then on the next possession, navigated her way inside the paint and hit a jumper to make it a one-point game.

Shade stole a pass from USC freshman guard Kennedy Smith, and Strong scored on the other end to put UConn ahead 65-64. The comeback was complete, and they were back in the driver’s seat.

Then, as inevitable as the sun rising, Watkins emerged and rose to the challenge. She drove inside, pulled up near the free throw line and hit the basket while being fouled. JuJu scored from the charity stripe, and USC was back up by two.

Bueckers scored for UConn, and Marshall countered with two more points for USC. The Trojans led 69-67 with under 90 seconds to go. Both teams missed some opportunities to score, but with 31 seconds left to play, Watkins was fouled and split a pair of free throws to extend the USC lead to three. Strong quickly scored inside, and Watkins was fouled on the other side, but this time, she made both of her attempts at the charity stripe.

With UConn having possession, Strong was fouled immediately following the inbound, and UConn had to take it out again. They struggled to get the ball in play, but Bueckers eventually controlled the ball and had the game in her hands. She found Strong wide-open for a 3-pointer, who then was fouled by Watkins on the miss.

With a chance to tie the game, Strong only made her first free throw, missing the other two. Bueckers grabbed the offensive rebound on the third miss and passed it out to Strong, who took a desperation 3 for the win that missed the mark.

USC escaped with their best win of the season against one of the better teams in the country.

Closing thoughts

For USC, this was an example of how good they can be when everyone is locked in. Watkins was superb, Iriafen was sensational and they got enough scoring from Marshall and Kennedy Smith to win.

On the UConn side, the talk will be about those late-game free throws, but it should be about that slow start in the first half. You can’t fall behind by that many points at home against a team as talented as USC and expect to win. The Huskies are so good they still almost got it done, but they needed to play a full 40-minute game. UConn didn’t, and USC did, which is why things went the way they did on Saturday night.

There’s not much time to celebrate for USC, as they take on a tough opponent in No. 20 Michigan next week. On the other hand, UConn should have an easier time in their upcoming matchup on Dec. 29 against Providence.