Vanessa Bryant, Caleb Williams, and Cheryl Miller among the celebrities to show for NCAA Tournament game vs. Texas A&M-CC
The top seeded USC Trojans played their first-round matchup on Saturday against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. The Women’s NCAA Tournament has gotten underway this week and many famous Trojans’ alumni decided they had to be in the building to check out their star, Juju Watkins. One of them was former USC legend, Cheryl Miller, one of the all-time greats at the school.
Former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams was also at the game. And Vanessa Bryant was also in attendance cheering on the Trojans.
USC jumped out to an early 17-2 lead, but Texas A&M CC battled back, cutting the lead to 24-15 with 4:50 remaining in the first half. The Trojans controlled the game for most of the afternoon, winning 87-55 in blowout fashion.
Next up, USC will face the 8th-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the second round in Portland, Oregon. The time for that game has not been announced yet. The winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
USC star JuJu Watkins continues to cement a legacy among the all-time greats. She scored her 818th point this season on Saturday, passing Cheryl Miller for the most points in a single season in USC women’s basketball history.
Watkins finished the game with 833 total points. With 833 total points, she now ranks third in NCAA history for scoring by a freshman, trailing Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell (873 points) and San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson (898 points).
Watkins finished the game with 23 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. The Trojans also got 23 points, four assists, and two rebounds from McKenzie Forbes.
Cheryl Miller was courtside with the ESPN announcers and chatted with them for a few minutes about Watkins and the USC basketball program. “She’s just special. And you’ve seen it. The poise….She’s courageous to stick around and come to SC of all places,” Miller said.
Joining Miller is special company. Her No. 31 jersey is retired by USC. She’s not only one of the greatest players in USC women’s basketball history, but women’s basketball in general. Miller was not only a two-time national champion during her time with the Trojans, but she won Naismith Player of the Year honors three times (1984-1986). She’s got one of the most impressive resumes from any woman ever to play the sport.
Watkins has already accomplished remarkable things this season, including erupting for 51 points against Stanford on February 2nd. She scored 51 of the Trojans’ 67 total points that night, setting the USC single-game scoring record in the process.