Within the waning moments of her worst half at USC, JuJu Watkins put her head down and drove to her left with all she had, leaning into contact, then leaping again and letting a daring jumper fly. 9 occasions she’d missed — from the lane, from midrange, from the nook — with out a single bucket.
This was the identical Trojans star who’d scored fewer than 20 factors simply twice this season. However as silky easy because the sequence seemed — and as unusual as a droop from Watkins appeared — the step-back clanked away. The buzzer rang on an uncharacteristic 0-for-10 half for one in all school basketball’s brightest stars.
Watkins seemed as much as the scoreboard, annoyed, as if to demand a solution.
Luckily for USC, it discovered the solutions it wanted Thursday, even with Watkins at her worst. A star flip from Trojans ahead Kiki Iriafen, together with well timed contributions from its fleet of freshmen, was loads to place away Minnesota 82-69, giving USC a fifteenth straight victory.
However this win — its first at residence in 18 days — didn’t come as easily because the others. And for Watkins particularly, each step appeared like a wrestle.
Her contact was off. Her drives to the ring have been thwarted. Open pictures refused to fall. Watkins fought by the droop within the second half, hitting six of 12 from the sector. However her 29% taking pictures ranked amongst her least environment friendly in two seasons at USC (19-1, 9-0 Massive Ten). She nonetheless managed to attain 20, really exceeding her level whole from USC’s earlier win over Purdue.
With Watkins struggling, Iriafen stepped right into a starring position. After bumping a knee and lacking the second half in opposition to Purdue final weekend, Iriafen shined from the beginning.
The ahead had been reluctant to let it fly from three-point vary, having made solely two threes in her earlier 19 video games. However coach Lindsay Gottlieb insisted this week that she belief her stroke and take a look at out the perimeter. So Iriafen fired deep early on, sinking one three-pointer, then one other on the following possession, including an entire new dimension to an already devastating offense. She completed with 23 factors and 11 rebounds.
The three-pointers have been flying, with the Trojans hitting 11 of 27. USC led from begin to end in consequence, with Avery Howell including 12 factors and Kennedy Smith 9.
Nonetheless, Minnesota (18-4, 6-4) hung round till halfway by the fourth quarter, slicing the result in six factors with lower than eight minutes remaining. However then Howell sunk a 3, and on the following possession, Watkins drove towards the ring.
As she lifted off, Watkins was fouled. This time she made the shot, and the Trojans walked away with one other win, even on an evening when their celebrity struggled.