Regardless of being outscored by 11 factors within the second half, the USC Trojans ladies had been capable of maintain off UConn for a 72-70 victory on the highway on Saturday night time.
USC star JuJu Watkins was sensational as she all the time is, ending the sport with 25 factors, six rebounds, 5 assists and three blocks. Kiki Iriafen was the one different USC participant in double figures for the sport.
UConn had two of its gamers mix for 44 of the staff’s 70 factors for the sport. Sarah Sturdy and Paige Bueckers scored 22 factors every. Sturdy added 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.
The double-double for Sturdy was her third this season, and the 20+ level recreation for Bueckers was her eighth time this season and fourth straight recreation scoring greater than 20 factors.
These two groups are amongst one of the best in all of girls’s school basketball. The duos of Bueckers-Sturdy and Watkins-Iriafen will carry these groups a good distance come March.
Some key elements for every staff could be Ashlynn Shade (8.8 factors per recreation, 44.2 3P%) for UConn and Rayah Marshall (8 factors per recreation, 8.8 rebounds per recreation) for USC.
If both of these gamers can grow to be a robust third choice for his or her respective groups, we will probably be seeing each USC and UConn within the Elite Eight at minimal, if not the nationwide championship.