No. 7 USC emerged victorious against No. 4 UConn on Saturday, securing a 72-70 win in a matchup between two strong NCAA basketball championship contenders still finding their rhythm.
USC held a lead of up to 18 points in the first half. However, UConn staged a comeback, briefly taking the lead in the fourth quarter before USC managed to outlast them and clinch the narrow victory.
JuJu secures USC win
Despite UConn’s Paige Bueckers closely guarding her, USC’s standout player JuJu Watkins scored 25 points, along with six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.
Bueckers and UConn freshman Sarah Strong shared the scoring load for UConn, both putting up 22 points with Strong grabbing 11 rebounds.
Following losses to Notre Dame and USC, UConn, which started the season at No. 2, now stands at 0-2 in Top 10 matchups. Coach Auriemma will be looking to correct this trend before their upcoming game against another ranked opponent in early February.
“I thought the execution in the first half was as bad as I’ve seen in a few years here in Connecticut,” remarked Geno Auriemma after the defeat.
“This win is significant because of UConn’s program stature and what Geno Auriemma has done for our sport,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb commented on the victory.
Weekend upsets shake top-ranked NCAA basketball teams
This weekend, upsets were the talk of NCAA basketball as Top 25 teams fell short and the list of undefeated teams dwindled.
No. 15 Michigan State suffered their first loss on Friday, being defeated by unranked Alabama 82-67 in a low-scoring affair. Meanwhile, No. 9 Duke also succumbed to an unranked opponent on Saturday, losing a defensive battle to USF 65-56.
No. 17 Georgia Tech maintained their undefeated record with a ranked victory over No. 23 Nebraska, whereas No. 14 West Virginia fell to unranked Colorado on the same day.
This season is characterized by parity, with conference realignment, the transfer portal, and other recent changes affecting numerous NCAA programs. As conference play approaches, teams will rely on regional matchups and strong scheduling to prepare for the heightened competition in the coming year.
