No. 7 USC Women’s Basketball Digs Deep For 72-70 Win At No. 4 UConn

HARTFORD, CONN. — The No. 7 USC ladies’s basketball staff answered a intestine verify in Hartford, Conn., preventing off a late push by No. 4 host UConn to ring up a tense 72-70 victory over the Huskies — USC’s first over UConn in program historical past.  The Trojans had led by as a lot as 18 factors early within the second half, solely to see the Huskies chunk again in entrance of a crowd of 15,684 at XL Middle. USC improves to 11-1 general with the highway win, whereas UConn goes to 10-2.

UConn had labored its method to its first lead of the sport with a one-point benefit with 4:25 to go, and it was all even at 67-67 with 2:25 remaining. Rayah Marshall delivered a key bucket within the paint to elevate USC right into a lead it might not relinquish regardless of late free-throw seems to be from the Huskies with 5 seconds left. JuJu Watkins’ two tosses from the stripe with 20 seconds on the clock gave USC a 72-69 lead, and simply one among three late tosses from the Huskies would fall in a dramatic end to this top-10 conflict in Connecticut.

USC nailed seven first-half 3-pointers and held UConn with no bucket from the ground for the ultimate three minutes of the primary half to construct a 42-29 lead on the break. The Trojans had been capturing 48.6 % from the ground general to that time, whereas the Huskies had been at 35.5 %, and USC was forward on the boards 22-19 by halftime. JuJu Watkins was the one participant in double digits via the primary half, holding 15 factors, and Kiki Iriafen had 9 rebounds within the financial institution by the break. The second half was a special story, as UConn heated as much as 43.5 % general whereas touchdown 4 second-half 3-pointers. USC wrapped at 49.2 % and had 9 threes hit, whereas ending simply forward on the boards 33-32 by the ultimate buzzer.

USC was led by JuJu Watkins’ game-high 25 factors together with a double-double from Kiki Iriafen with 16 factors and 11 rebounds. Iriafen additionally had a career-high six assists. Again from damage, USC freshman Kennedy Smith hit a career-high three 3-pointers for the Trojans. UConn had two Huskies end with 22 factors apiece in Paige Bueckers and Sarah Robust, with Robust pulling in 13 rebounds.

USC jumped out to a 9-0 lead on the Huskies, sparked by a bucket from Rayah Marshall and a 3-pointer from JuJu Watkins. UConn clawed again and obtained it to a one-point margin at 11-10 whereas the foul rely tipped in opposition to the Trojans. However that did not deter USC from a 7-0 surge that featured a 3 from Kennedy Smith to assist USC forward 18-10 with 2:20 on the clock within the first. Watkins and Talia von Oelhoffen had been each tagged with their second fouls earlier than one was whistled in opposition to the Huskies. Avery Howell transformed that three-point play to high off the quarter as a 24-15 USC lead. USC’s 3-point firepower flexed within the early goings of the second, as von Oelhoffen, Kayleigh Heckel and Smith every buried lengthy bombs to assist USC craft a 35-23 lead halfway via the body. Watkins had one among her personal laying wait a minute later, and though UConn struck from past the arc as nicely, USC obtained back-to-back buckets from Kiki Iriafen to assist the Trojans lead it 42-29 at halftime.

UConn obtained its toes below it in producing a 10-0 run throughout the third as USC dedicated seven pricey turnovers and the Trojans’ scoring tempo slowed. Iriafen obtained into double digits throughout the third, hanging twice down low, though UConn had the final phrase with a rating within the closing minute to make it a 55-49 USC lead getting into the fourth. A pair Husky 3-pointers helped make a push to carve USC’s benefit all the way down to a single level, with the Trojans up 64-63 with 5:22 on the clock. The drama was removed from over. UConn took its first lead of the sport with a 7-0 rally that had the hosts forward 65-64 with 4:35 remaining. USC answered the intestine verify with a three-point play from Watkins, though UConn leveled it slightly later. A giant bucket from Rayah Marshall had the Trojans up 69-67 at 1:20, and Watkins padded it by hitting the again finish of a visit to the road. She’d comply with a strike from UConn at 0:21 with two tosses from the stripe to make it 72-69 with 19.5 ticks to go. A late look from past the arc by UConn had the Huskies on the free-throw line for 3 pictures at tying in. The primary fell, however the subsequent two had been off the mark with 5 seconds left, and though UConn obtained the rebound the host wouldn’t get a last-gasp shot off earlier than the buzzer sounded on a 72-70 USC victory. 

NEXT: 
USC returns to Galen Middle to host its first-ever Huge Ten Convention video games after a brief vacation break. The Trojans face Michigan in a 7 p.m. assembly on Dec. 29 earlier than turning to host Nebraska at midday on New Yr’s Day.
 
NOTABLE:
– SO JuJu Watkins (25 factors) and GS Kiki Iriafen (16) have now each scored in double digits in all 12 USC video games this season.
– Along with her 16 factors and team-high 11 rebounds, Iriafen recorded her fifth double-double in USC’s final six video games and sixth as a Trojan.
– Iriafen additionally served up a career-high six assists.
– FR Kennedy Smith set a career-high with three 3-pointers made.
– Smith had missed the earlier seven video games following a surgical process.
– With two blocks, SR Rayah Marshall has recorded at the least one block within the final 10 video games.
– This was USC’s first win over a top-10 opponent this season, now 1-1 in such matchups after dropping to then-No. 6/5 Notre Dame on Nov. 23.
– USC is now 1-3 all-time in opposition to UConn in a sequence that started within the 2002-03 season.