JuJu Watkins goes for 42 as No. 7 USC beats No. 11 Colorado
True freshman sensation JuJu Watkins scored 42 points as the No. 7 USC Trojans continued their winning ways with an 87-81 win over No. 11 Colorado at Galen Center on Friday night.
The Trojans ran their winning streak to seven games, which includes victories at No. 4 Stanford, at then-No. 11 Oregon State and now at home against No. 11 Colorado.
It was another game and another record-breaking performance for Watkins. The 42 points gave her 11 games of at least 30 points this season, breaking a tie with Cheryl Miller for the most in one season by a USC player. She also set a record for the most points scored by a USC basketball player, men’s or women’s, at Galen Center, breaking the 35-point mark set by Katin Reinhardt against Colorado in 2015 and tied by Boogie Ellis last year.
Watkins finished the game 10-of-19 from the floor and hit all 18 of her free throw attempts. And in a game in which Rayah Marshall didn’t score and took just one shot, McKenzie Forbes came up with a huge performance. She finished with 24 points, seven assists and connected on five-of-six three-point attempts. It was a very impressive night of deep shooting for the Trojan trio of Watkins, Forbes and Kayla Padilla. They each connected on at least four three-pointers and combined to go 13-for-18 from long range.
A Watkins three gave USC the lead very early and a Forbes three pushed USC ahead 8-7 with 6:02 remaining in the first quarter. The Trojans pushed the second-quarter lead to as many as 13, but Colorado ended the first half with four-straight threes to cut the USC lead to 47-43 at halftime.
Colorado’s first lead since the early moments came midway through the third quarter thanks to an 11-0 run, assisted by a Watkins flagrant foul. USC turned it around quickly and took a 67-61 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Watkins opened the fourth quarter with a deep three-pointer and Colorado never threatened again.
Of USC’s four losses this season, the Trojans have no delivered payback against two teams. USC beat UCLA at Galen Center after losing to the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion two weeks earlier. Colorado beat USC in Boulder back in January. USC will have an opportunity for a third revenge game win on Sunday against No. 18 Utah. The Utes beat the Trojans by 20 in Salt Lake City earlier this season. After the game against Utah, USC will travel to Arizona and Arizona State before heading to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Conference Tournament.
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