JuJu Watkins scores 31 as No. 10 USC beats Arizona State
The No. 10 USC Trojans took care of business and the Arizona State Sun Devils on Friday night, using a strong first quarter to eventually cruise to an 81-63 win.
Star true freshman JuJu Watkins scored a game-high 31 points in this one. But she wasn’t the only standout for the Trojans. Rayah Marshall was a force inside, grabbing 16 rebounds to go with 13 points. It was her sixth double-double of the season. And McKenzie Forbes scored 18 points — the eighth time she’s his double-figures over her past nine games.
Watkins didn’t start the game off with a hot hand, but the Trojans still jumped out to a 22-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. She went into halftime with just six points, but went 8-for-13 from the floor in the second half to make it another 30-point outing.
Watkins has now scored at least 30 points in eight games this season. She set the USC single-season record for a freshman at four and continues to push the record further.
Arizona State shaved the USC lead down to 38-31 early in the third quarter. But a 12-2 run by the Trojans pushed the score to 50-33 and the Sun Devils never brought it back to within single digits.
This is the third win in a row for the Trojans after a bit of a skid. USC will now take on Arizona on Monday night at Galen Center in a game that will air on ESPN2 at 6:00 pm. The Wildcats lost to the UCLA Bruins on Friday night, 66-58, and are tied for seventh in the conference.
USC will then go on the road for games at Oregon and Oregon State before an enormous homestand against No. 4 Colorado and No. 20 Utah on Feb. 23 and 25. But the Buffaloes and Utes beat the Trojans earlier this season.
Not a member, USC fans? Join WeAreSC today!
Have you subscribed to WeAreSC.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our USC coverage for just $1! Read all of WeAreSC’s premium articles and nuggets covering USC sports and recruiting and join thousands of other Trojan fans around the globe on the WeAreSC message board! CLICK HERE!
