Juju Watkins scores 30, leads USC to Elite 8 in NCAA women’s tournament after win over Baylor
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
With a spot in the Elite 8 at up for grabs, the USC Trojans turned to their best player.
Superstar freshman JuJu Watkins had 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead the Trojans to a 74-70 win over Baylor in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women’s tournament on Saturday. USC will play in the Elite 8 for the first time since 1994.
The top-seeded Trojans had their hands full with the No. 5 seeded Bears. Baylor led 62-59 with less than five minutes to go before Watkins took over the game and helped USC to victory.
The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year found center Clarice Akunwafo for a lay-up to cut the deficit to one. Then, Watkins secured a defensive rebound and converted an and-one fast-break layup to put the Trojans up for good.
Watkins scored nine consecutive points for USC in clutch time, but Baylor managed to stay in the game. Sarah Andrews hit a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left to go to cut the Bears’ deficit to 71-70.
But Watkins — who hit 12 of 13 from the line — hit both free throws with 19 seconds left, putting the Trojans by 3. Andrews missed a game-tying 3-pointer with 12 seconds left before USC’s Rayah Marshall secured one of her 16 rebounds and hit one-of-two free throws to ice the game after being intentionally fouled.
PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 30: Dre’Una Edwards #44 of the Baylor Lady Bears dribbles during the first half against the USC Trojans in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 30, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 30: Sarah Andrews #24 of the Baylor Lady Bears shoots over JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans during the first half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 30, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 30: JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans looks on during the first half against the Baylor Lady Bears in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 30, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 30: McKenzie Forbes #25 of the USC Trojans shoots over Darianna Littlepage-Buggs #5 of the Baylor Lady Bears during the second half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 30, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 30: Jada Walker #11 of the Baylor Lady Bears celebrates after a play during the second half against the USC Trojans in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 30, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 30: JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans shoots over Yaya Felder #2 of the Baylor Lady Bears during the first half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 30, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 30: JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans dribbles during the first half against the Baylor Lady Bears in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 30, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The storybook season continues for USC, with the program rising to prominence in the national spotlight for the first time since the legendary Cheryl Miller coaching the squad in the mid-90s.
The Trojans will take on the winner of the contest between UConn and and Duke on Monday at 6 p.m. for the right to advance to the Final Four.
In other action from the tournament, the UCLA Bruins’ season ended after a 78-69 loss to the defending champion LSU Tigers.
LSU will take on Caitlin Clark and Iowa in a rematch of last year’s championship game in the Elite 8.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
