Los Angeles, CA- The No.7 Women of Troy (21-5, 11-5 Pac-12) had their seven-game win streak snapped in their home finale as they lost to No. 18 Utah (20-8, 10-6 Pac-12) 74-68 at Galen Center. This is the second time the Utes have defeated the Trojans this season.
Juju Watkins scored 30 points for the 12th time of the season, but it wasn’t her most efficient outing shooting 33% going 10 of 30 from the field. You could visibly see Watkins’s frustration with herself.
Although, Watkins wasn’t the only Trojan on the court struggling. USC opened the game by making just one of their first ten attempts and finished the opening quarter with six points shooting an underwhelming 17% from the floor.
“That first quarter we were on the struggle bus offensively,” Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game.
USC concluded the first half shooting 34% from the field. The Trojans shot 11% from the three-point line after only making one of nine attempts.
The Utes shot 44% from the field, converting 11 of 25 attempts, and from behind the arc Utah shot 42%making 6 of 14 attempts.
Former USC Trojan Alissa Pili scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Utes. Kennedy McQueen added 14 points.
“I’m extremely impressed with what she did when she left here Gottlieb said of Pili. “She put the work in. She recommitted to what makes her happy and good and I respect that.”
JuJu Watkins came alive in the beginning of the fourth period, scoring 10 straight for the Trojans bringing her team within striking distance several times in the quarter.
USC finished the game shooting 40% from the field and 20% from the three-point line making only 4 out of 20 attempts.
Utah concluded the game, shooting 48% from the floor and shooting 40% from long range making 11 of 27 attempts.
The Women of Troy now prepare to hit the road and face Arizona and Arizona State in their final two games of the regular season as we head into March Madness.
