HARTFORD, Conn. — As USC’s bench emptied onto the XL Heart flooring, with the No. 7 Trojans having defeated the No. 4 UConn Huskies 72-70, JuJu Watkins’ arms shot to the sky. Basking in her 25-point efficiency that lifted USC previous UConn for the primary time at school historical past, Watkins turned to the small part of supporters decked out in pink and yellow contained in the sold-out area and acknowledged their assist.
“It hit a bit totally different understanding the historical past from final yr and the way they despatched us house,” Watkins stated.
The stakes had been totally different this time. In April, within the Elite Eight, the Huskies knocked the top-seeded Trojans out of the NCAA Event. However Saturday night time’s 2-point victory was significant however. Not just for Watkins and USC senior switch Kiki Iriafen, however for his or her coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, who has lengthy admired this system UConn coach Geno Auriemma has constructed.
“It is a actually vital win, and it’s a extremely vital win due to the stature of UConn’s program and what Geno Auriemma has completed for our sport,” Gottlieb stated. “For my total highschool (profession) on, that is what basketball excellence was. That is what we noticed, and it’s challenged all of us to need to be higher, to seek out gamers who need to be higher and be that elite. And I don’t suppose that’s gone away.”
Gottlieb is in her fourth season with the Trojans, and he or she aspires to construct a sustained program just like the Huskies. A season in the past, USC received its second Pac-12 match title in program historical past and made consecutive NCAA Event appearances for the primary time in almost twenty years. Over her temporary tenure, she has reminded onlookers not solely of USC’s historical past of success — two nationwide titles and three Ultimate 4 appearances within the Eighties, Corridor of Fame gamers similar to Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Cheryl Miller and Tina Thompson — however of what it may be within the current. Watkins, final yr’s nationwide freshman of the yr and a first-team All-American, is on the middle of the most recent chapter. Victories like Saturday’s assist make lofty aspirations really feel extra attainable.
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb needs to emulate what Geno Auriemma has inbuilt Connecticut. (David Butler II / Imagn Photos)
Gottlieb grew up simply exterior New York Metropolis, however she wasn’t recruited by Auriemma in highschool. Nonetheless, when she was 15 or 16, she accompanied certainly one of her pals to certainly one of his camps. UConn was at all times the native draw, and following Saturday’s win, she recalled a visit she made throughout her senior yr at Brown College, in close by Windfall, Rhode Island, when she and her father drove to Storrs to see UConn tackle Tennessee.
“It was bought out,” Gottlieb stated, “and I used to be in that constructing and noticed this ambiance.”
Saturday was raucous, too. And Watkins, USC’s star guard, stated it may need been the biggest crowd she has performed in entrance of. Practically 16,000 folks packed inside XL Heart, nearly all of whom wore navy and white.
Nonetheless, Watkins added, “simply to see my household right here, all of the SC followers, it meant the world.”
If anybody wanted reminding, the Trojans’ victory strengthened their standing as certainly one of this season’s nationwide title contenders. At 11-1, their lone defeat got here at house to Notre Dame by 13 factors. It could have been straightforward, Gottlieb stated, for these inside this system responsible one another after that November loss — for the Trojans to fracture.
“So long as we stick collectively, this will make us higher,” she stated she informed them afterward. “And (the loss) has in each means.”
Getting into Saturday’s victory, the Trojans sported the nation’s third-best protection and No. 15 offense. They convert in transition (almost 20 p.c of their factors are available transition) and off turnovers (averaging 28.7 factors per sport), vital measurables that might serve them properly sooner or later. Their victory over the Huskies strengthened that they might come on the street, in one of many most-anticipated video games of the season, and punch first. It proved they might give up a 13-point halftime lead, path by some extent with just below 5 minutes to play and nonetheless recuperate.
“Nobody received off the treadmill,” Gottlieb stated.
After all, having a transcendent star like Watkins helps calm any nerves. Not solely did she lead the sport in scoring, she added six rebounds, 5 assists and three blocks, together with one simply earlier than halftime on UConn star Paige Bueckers. Bueckers was prolific within the second half and completed with 22 factors, however she additionally guarded Watkins because the USC star received off to a quick begin within the first quarter.
“Each scouting report that you just put collectively or each movie that you just watch, it’s very evident that one participant can’t guard (Watkins),” Auriemma stated. “When she will get into a bit little bit of a rhythm, you need to hope she misses.”
With the rating inside one possession with solely 4:30 to play, Watkins recorded 6 of USC’s 8 factors and assisted ahead Rayah Marshall on the lone basket she didn’t rating.
“Lots of the issues she does is tremendous exhausting, however she makes it look really easy,” Iriafen stated. “Everyone knows she is a famous person, so taking part in along with her undoubtedly relieves stress on everyone else.”
Any remnants of stress dissipated even additional within the postgame locker room. Gamers doused Gottlieb with water as she entered. They leaped collectively in celebration.
“For me now to carry a crew right here, to know we may do it, after which to really do it’s extremely significant,” Gottlieb stated. “Actually pleased with the massive win.”
(Prime photograph of JuJu Watkins driving between Paige Bueckers, left, and Kaitlyn Chen: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Photos)
