HARTFORD, Conn. — JuJu Watkins stepped up to the free-throw line with 19 seconds left in Saturday’s game.
These are the moments college basketball players dream of. The game was in the balance. A sold-out XL Center was on the edge of its seat.
After blowing a double-digit lead, No. 7 USC was only up by one on No. 4 Connecticut.
Watkins took a deep breath and exhaled. She took two dribbles, spun the ball and took a shot.
Swish.
Watkins made the second one, too, which ultimately sealed the Trojans’ 72-70 win.
Rejoice. Relief. Redemption.
Watkins threw her hands in the air. She then looked at a section of the crowd of nearly 16,000 and waved.
“It feels great to get a [win], always,” Watkins said. “I think it hit a little different knowing the history of last year and how they sent us home.”
Watkins was locked in from the moment she stepped foot on the court for warm-ups. Even during the national anthem, Watkins stood as still as a statue, her head down and eyes closed. She didn’t even flinch when the saxophone played a piercingly high note toward the end of the song.
Watkins made it clear she meant business.
Once the game started, Watkins was doing everything she could to help USC get its payback on UConn after the Huskies dismissed the Trojans from the NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight not even nine months ago.
She led the Trojans’ scoring barrage in the first half with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting. She disrupted Connecticut’s passing lanes, dove for loose balls and blocked shots.
Her teammates fed off her fire.
Meanwhile, the Huskies didn’t have any answers for Watkins and USC’s hot 3-point shooting. They trailed 42-29 at the half.
Bueckers led Connecticut on an inspiring comeback, which sent the crowd into delirium every time the Trojans turned the ball over or the Huskies made a basket. During Connecticut’s run, USC found itself in a similar, unsettling situation as it was just a few weeks earlier against Notre Dame.
“We knew how it felt to be in such a big game and for it to not go our way,” Kiki Iriafen said. “We didn’t want the same thing to happen today. So we were really cognizant of putting our foot on the gas at halftime.”
Even when things didn’t go USC’s way, when the shots didn’t fall or sloppy passes led to turnovers, the Trojans stayed grounded.
“I don’t think we were ever really rattled,” Watkins said. “We knew what this team was capable of, they were going to go on a run. So it was just a matter of handling that and coming out on top.”
Saturday’s game between USC and UConn was billed as the “best show on court” with Bueckers and Watkins headlining as the stars. So it was fitting the game ended in thrilling fashion, with USC barely holding on.
Watkins finished with a game-high 25 points. She also had six rebounds and five assists. Iriafen added 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Meanwhile, Bueckers scored 15 of her 22 points in the second half.
Saturday’s game showed Watkins’ growth over the last season. She was efficient with her shot-making. The gravitational pull she has, opened opportunities for her teammates.
“A lot of the things she does is super hard but she makes it look so easy,” Iriafen said. “We all know she is a super star so playing with her definitely relieves pressure on everybody else.”
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb called Saturday a “significant win.” An exhausted Watkins said it was no doubt a memorable one.
“Paige is an excellent player,” Watkins said. “It’s just a testament to when you give women a platform, we’re going to perform and I think that tonight was an excellent game. I was so kind of tired toward the end.”