Los Angeles– In a total team effort the No. 9 USC Trojans (12-1) withstand the Oregon Ducks (9-7) and secured a late 68-54 victory at the Galen Center.
Freshman sensation Juju Watkins led the women of Troy in scoring with 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 7 of 18 scoring.
USC received huge contributions from their junior center Rayah Marshall, who added 16 points, and nine rebounds. Graduate transfer Mckenzie Forbe scored 16 points and had four assists as well.
“I was super happy that we shared the ball, “Head Coach Lindsay Gotlieb said. “25 assists on 28 made baskets is terrific. I thought that we got contributions from a ton of different people. We got great contributions off of the bench and when it came down to it our go-to players acted like they are some of the best players in the conference”.
The Trojans made 13 of 27 attempts from the field for 48% in the first half.
The Ducks struggled with their shooting, managing a 37% field goal percentage in the first half. They went 9 of 24 from the field and trailed 30-23 at halftime.
Grace VanSlooten had a game-high 18 points for the Ducks on 6 of 16 shooting. Oregon shot 43% in the second half and managed to cut USC’s lead down to one early in the fourth quarter.
The Trojans shot 50% in the second half, shooting 15-30 from the field and 5-11 from three-point range for 45%.
Juju Watkins scored eight of her 17 in the fourth period and helped put the game away for the Trojans.
USC advanced to 2-1 in conference play after defeating both the visiting schools from Oregon over the weekend. USC now prepares to avenge their only loss of the season, which came at the hands of their crosstown rivals the No.2 UCLA Bruins.
UCLA and their size beat them on the rebound margin 48-37 last game and present a tough matchup for the Trojans. Gottlieb gave some insight into USC’s game plan for next Sunday’s showdown. “They are an incredibly great rebounding team, the best in the nation. Obviously the game plan doesn’t change. Box the heck out, be the tougher team, and try to keep them off of the boards”.
