HARTFORD, Conn. — With just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter of Saturday’s top-10 matchup between No. 4 UConn and No. 7 USC, a video aired on the XL Center jumbotron showing one of the highlights of Paige Bueckers’ career. The clip was of the final seconds of the Huskies’ Elite Eight victory over the Trojans in last year’s NCAA Tournament. It was a reminder of what was — an evening of net-cutting, locker room water-dousing, and a 23rd Final Four berth for the mighty Huskies. Bueckers said at the time it was “one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Saturday’s rematch between the Huskies and Trojans less than 10 months later had smaller stakes; no banners would be hung after this regular-season contest. But it will still surely be meaningful to both participants, and the atmosphere rivaled that of any March or April affair.
Much to the delight of the road Trojans, it was their star, JuJu Watkins, who led her team over Bueckers in a game featuring two of the nation’s best players. Watkins finished USC’s 72-70 victory with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, while adding six rebounds and five assists.
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And for as impressive as her step-back mid-range jumpers and three 3-pointers were, Watkins’ defensive impact was also pronounced. She blocked Bueckers’ final shot attempt of the first half, then blocked Huskies guard Ashlynn Shade on UConn’s second possession coming out of the locker, with both rejections serving as fitting punctuation marks in her prolific performance.
JuJu Watkins denies Paige Bueckers and then gets the bucket on the other end 🔥
🎥 @CBBonFOXpic.twitter.com/tvy7FCZENS
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 22, 2024
Her demeanor seldom changed throughout the evening, even after she picked up a second foul with 1:23 to play in the first quarter. It was then that USC coach Lindsey Gottlieb was faced with a choice: sit her star guard, potentially for the rest of the half, or trust her potential national Player of the Year. She chose the latter, and Watkins proved Gottlieb right. Watkins didn’t pick up another foul until five seconds remained in the fourth quarter.
Bueckers matched Watkins on both ends for much of the second half as she helped UConn rally from a 13-point halftime deficit. But UConn played catchup throughout the majority of the contest. The Huskies didn’t take their first lead until the 4:33 mark of the fourth quarter and never led by more than a point.
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Heading into Saturday’s affair, both Gottlieb and UConn coach Geno Auriemma stressed that the top-10 matchup wasn’t merely Watkins vs. Bueckers. Others would be called upon to contribute. As the game progressed, USC’s core proved superior, at least on this occasion. The Trojans shot 63.6 percent from 3-point range in the first half and 49.2 percent from the field overall. Senior forward Kiki Iriafen finished the victory with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double.
UConn star freshman Sarah Strong had 22 points and 13 rebounds, proving once again to already be among the country’s top bigs. But Strong went to the free throw line with five seconds remaining with the opportunity to push the game into overtime. She made only one of her three free-throw attempts. The ensuing scramble for the loose ball and ensuing 3-point miss cemented USC’s win.
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(Photo: David Butler II / Imagn Images)
