Some Sweet Sixteen games, like most games, are won by overpowering scoring. Some games are won by crushing defense. These two games were won by lower-than-average shooting, some good defense, and two-star players doing what they had to do to ensure wins for their teams.
USC and Baylor in a Highly Competitive Sweet Sixteen Game
USC faced a tough, driven Baylor, with both teams looking fairly strong in the first quarter. Baylor took an early lead, but USC managed to creep back in and eventually take the quarter 18-16. Neither team shot particularly well, but there were no excessive turnovers either. By the half, USC had extended their slim lead to six. Hardly unmanageable. In the third quarter they traded buckets until, at 6:33, JuJu Watkins hit her last shot, a three, and then went ice cold.
With Baylor down 41-47, they went on a 16-6 run, ending the quarter up 57-53 over USC. The fourth quarter looked as though the basket might as well have been in Katmandu, although USC did regain the lead in the first minute, scoring six unanswered points. Baylor didn’t score until 6:05 when Jada Walker hit a free throw, followed by a tip-in by Aijha Blackwell. Baylor went up by three on a Walker jumper, but Clarice Akunwafo‘s layup for USC tied the game at 64-64.
Then Watkins re-emerged and scored the next nine points for USC, although Sarah Andrews kept it close for Baylor, scoring a trey and a jumper, bringing it to 71-70 USC. But two Watkins free throws and one by Rayah Marshall were enough to seal the win 74-70. USC ended up shooting 39.4% on 26-66 and Baylor 38.6% on 27-70, so perhaps this was a situation more of poor shooting losing a game rather than great shooting winning a game.
YEAH K-WILL❗️ pic.twitter.com/c3asxh2tMn
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) March 31, 2024
Watkins did her part, albeit in a somewhat disjointed fashion. There were relatively few turnovers on both sides, and neither team scored significantly off of them. Both teams fought hard, and at times, Baylor looked like the stronger team. Without Watkins, USC quite possibly lose the game. Neither team had the luxury of sitting their starters, and it is hard to say how much of a part the fatigue factor played. Credit to Baylor for not letting up. Credit to Watkins for those last nine points.
Duke-UConn was a Low-Scoring Sweet Sixteen Matchup
I don’t think anyone expected the game they saw between UConn and Duke. High-energy defense from both teams, yes. Abysmal shooting from both teams, not at all. Paige Bueckers, much like Watkins, took the team with her, and managed to hold on, even after opening up a 20-point lead, which Duke proceeded to eat into in the fourth quarter, bringing the score to 50-45 UConn with a minute left.
But three free throws from Bueckers and nothing from Duke gave UConn the 53-45 win in the Sweet Sixteen. UConn held Reigan Richardson to 10 points with Oluchi Okananwa scoring 15 for Duke. Bueckers ended the game with 24 points, and both KK Arnold and Aaliyah Edwards grabbed 12 each. Both teams did put up some good defense, but where the scoring went is a mystery. Bueckers, Nika Mühl, and Arnold all played the entire 40 minutes.
Edwards got into foul trouble, but Ice Brady’s 13 minutes off the bench only resulted in 2 points. Ashlynn Shade had an 0-fer, which is something the Huskies can’t see duplicated. Even with only three bench players, Qadence Samuels can contribute, as can Brady, but the overall shooting has to improve for them to give the starters even minimal break. UConn eked it out, but just.
The Huskies are going to the Elite Eight! pic.twitter.com/So22OgKEAo
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) March 31, 2024
So going into the Elite Eight, I would say both UConn and USC have similar tasks in front of them, and neither team can afford long shooting droughts, nor can they solely rely on their stars to carry them. The stakes are too high. From these two games, I don’t see a clear winner on Monday. Maybe that’s what makes this matchup all the more exciting. I think we’re in for 40 minutes of damn good basketball.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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