The USC Trojans didn’t need a large wooden horse to invade the XL Center in Hartford to take the victory over the UConn Huskies on Saturday night. What they did was unleash JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen in the first half to build a commanding lead, forcing the Huskies to play catch-up for the rest of the game, which they did in the second half. As well as USC played in the first two quarters, they allowed UConn to erase an 18-point lead and bring it down to the wire.
UConn played poor basketball in the first half, and could not find a way to limit shots. Also, they could not get any real offense to flow. Somewhere between the romps of Iowa State and Georgetown, UConn lost whatever they had in those games, at least in the first half. That they were able to rebound in the second half against USC was impressive, as they found the cracks in the Trojan’s game and capitalized on them, particularly in getting USC to turn the ball over more.
Watkins Led the Way for USC Versus UConn
Watkins scored a game-high 25 points and was limited to four in the third quarter and six in the fourth. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb was visibly upset with her team in the second half. USC’s lead evaporated after such a dynamic first half. UConn’s mercurial showing must have made many, including coach Geno Auriemma, wonder what version of UConn this was. The shooting inconsistencies must be addressed as they dive into conference play.
Final from XL@WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/lBuz0B7med
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) December 22, 2024
The same could be said for USC, who have a new set of opponents as a new member of the Big Ten. With the likes of Ohio State, UCLA, Maryland, and perhaps even upstart Minnesota to deal with, we may have a better picture of what USC can do. Not that they haven’t acquitted themselves well so far (their only loss being to Notre Dame) but it will be a challenge playing on different courts and teams for conference play.
UConn and its Core Against USC
UConn, as they have displayed on several occasions, has the talent to win consistently. But that is the problem – consistency. Sarah Strong is an incredible talent whose contributions are keeping the Huskies in contention. Paige Bueckers has also given UConn a reason to be optimistic. However, they are going to need more production from the rest of the team. Specifically, from players like Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, Kaitlyn Chen, and Ice Brady.
This is the UConn core, and they need to find a way to produce more. Only four players, two from each team, hit double figures. Watkins and Iriafen had 25 and 16 respectively for USC, with Bueckers and Strong scoring 22 points each. It seemed as though it was raining threes, but in fact, USC scored 9 and UConn 6. It was when they dropped that gave USC the boost needed to surge ahead.
The three woke up for UConn in the second half which helped get them to eventually tie the game. The biggest plus for the Huskies is that they did not give up as the final score indicated. Unfortunately, Strong did not convert her second free throw at the end, which sealed the fate of the Huskies.
What Happens to UConn and USC Following Their Matchup
It remains to be seen how far UConn will drop in the rankings when the new ones come out on Monday. USC will certainly move up. There is still plenty of basketball to play, and both teams are capable of landing a number one seed in the tournament. They have weaknesses that must be dealt with.
Up next for USC is a home game against Michigan on Dec. 29. The Huskies will meet Providence for a home game that same day. There is a lot of work for these teams to do.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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