HARTFORD, CONN. — The No. 7 USC women’s basketball team answered a gut check in Hartford, Conn., fighting 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 history. The Trojans had led by as much as 18 points early […]
HARTFORD, CONN. — The No. 7 USC women’s basketball team answered a gut check in Hartford, Conn., fighting 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 history. The Trojans had led by as much as 18 points early in the second half, only to see the Huskies bite back in front of a crowd of 15,684 at XL Center. USC improves to 11-1 overall with the road win, while UConn goes to 10-2.
UConn had worked its way to its first lead of the game with a one-point advantage with 4:25 to go, and it was all even at 67-67 with 2:25 remaining. Rayah Marshall delivered a key bucket in the paint to lift USC into a lead it would not relinquish despite late free-throw looks from the Huskies with five seconds left. JuJu Watkins’ two tosses from the stripe with 20 seconds on the clock gave USC a 72-69 lead, and just one of three late tosses from the Huskies would fall in a dramatic finish to this top-10 clash in Connecticut.
USC nailed seven first-half 3-pointers and held UConn without a bucket from the floor for the final three minutes of the first half to build a 42-29 lead at the break. The Trojans were shooting 48.6 percent from the floor overall to that point, while the Huskies were at 35.5 percent, and USC was ahead on the boards 22-19 by halftime. JuJu Watkins was the only player in double digits through the first half, holding 15 points, and Kiki Iriafen had nine rebounds in the bank by the break. The second half was a different tale, as UConn heated up to 43.5 percent overall while landing four second-half 3-pointers. USC wrapped at 49.2 percent and had nine threes hit, while finishing just ahead on the boards 33-32 by the final buzzer.
USC was led by JuJu Watkins’ game-high 25 points along with a double-double from Kiki Iriafen with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Iriafen also had a career-high six assists. Back from injury, USC freshman Kennedy Smith hit a career-high three 3-pointers for the Trojans. UConn had two Huskies finish with 22 points apiece in Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong, with Strong 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 back and got it to a one-point margin at 11-10 while the foul count tipped against the Trojans. But that didn’t deter USC from a 7-0 surge that featured a three from Kennedy Smith to help USC ahead 18-10 with 2:20 on the clock in the first. Watkins and Talia von Oelhoffen were both tagged with their second fouls before one was whistled against the Huskies. Avery Howell converted that three-point play to top off the quarter as a 24-15 USC lead. USC’s 3-point firepower flexed in the early goings of the second, as von Oelhoffen, Kayleigh Heckel and Smith each buried long bombs to help USC craft a 35-23 lead midway through the frame. Watkins had one of her own laying wait a minute later, and although UConn struck from beyond the arc as well, USC received back-to-back buckets from Kiki Iriafen to help the Trojans lead it 42-29 at halftime.
UConn got its feet under it in generating a 10-0 run during the third as USC committed seven costly turnovers and the Trojans’ scoring pace slowed. Iriafen got into double digits during the third, striking twice down low, although UConn had the last word with a score in the final minute to make it a 55-49 USC lead entering the fourth. A couple Husky 3-pointers helped make a push to carve USC’s advantage down to a single point, with the Trojans up 64-63 with 5:22 on the clock. The drama was far from over. UConn took its first lead of the game with a 7-0 rally that had the hosts ahead 65-64 with 4:35 remaining. USC answered the gut check with a three-point play from Watkins, although UConn leveled it a little later. A big bucket from Rayah Marshall had the Trojans up 69-67 at 1:20, and Watkins padded it by hitting the back end of a trip to the line. She’d follow 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 beyond the arc by UConn had the Huskies on the free-throw line for three shots at tying in. The first fell, but the next two were off the mark with five seconds left, and although UConn got the rebound the host would not get a last-gasp shot off before the buzzer sounded on a 72-70 USC victory.
NEXT:
USC returns to Galen Center to host its first-ever Big Ten Conference games after a short holiday break. The Trojans face Michigan in a 7 p.m. meeting on Dec. 29 before turning to host Nebraska at noon on New Year’s Day.
NOTABLE:
– SO JuJu Watkins (25 points) and GS Kiki Iriafen (16) have now both scored in double digits in all 12 USC games this season.
– With her 16 points and team-high 11 rebounds, Iriafen recorded her fifth double-double in USC’s last six games and sixth as a Trojan.
– Iriafen also served up a career-high six assists.
– FR Kennedy Smith set a career-high with three 3-pointers made.
– Smith had missed the previous seven games following a surgical procedure.
– With two blocks, SR Rayah Marshall has recorded at least one block in the last 10 games.
– This was USC’s first win over a top-10 opponent this season, now 1-1 in such matchups after losing to then-No. 6/5 Notre Dame on Nov. 23.
– USC is now 1-3 all-time against UConn in a series that began in the 2002-03 season.
