No. 7 USC pulled off a close 72-70 victory against No. 4 UConn in a matchup between two strong NCAA basketball teams still finding their rhythm.
USC had a strong lead of up to 18 points in the first half, but UConn made a comeback, briefly taking the lead in the fourth quarter before USC secured the win.
JuJu leads USC to victory
Despite pressure from UConn’s Paige Bueckers, USC’s JuJu Watkins scored 25 points, along with six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.
Bueckers and UConn’s Sarah Strong scored 22 points each, with Strong adding 11 rebounds.
After starting the season ranked No. 2, UConn has suffered losses to Notre Dame and USC, putting them at 0-2 in Top 10 matchups. Coach Auriemma will be looking to make corrections before their next ranked game in February.
“I thought the execution in the first half was as bad as I’ve seen in a few years here in Connecticut,” Coach Auriemma remarked after the loss.
“This win is significant because of UConn’s program and what Coach Auriemma has done for women’s basketball,” said USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
Upsets shake NCAA basketball landscape
This weekend saw several upsets in NCAA basketball, with Top 25 teams falling and the list of undefeated teams shrinking.
Michigan State suffered their first loss to unranked Alabama, while Duke fell to unranked USF in a defensive battle.
Georgia Tech stayed undefeated with a win over Nebraska, but West Virginia fell to unranked Colorado.
This season has seen a lot of parity due to conference realignment, the transfer portal, and other changes affecting NCAA programs. As teams gear up for conference play, they will rely on regional rivalries and tough schedules to prepare for stronger competition in the new year.
