LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — The highest-seeded USC ladies’s basketball group gutted out an intense ultimate 4 minutes to claw out of a three-point gap and beat No. 5 seed Baylor 74-70 to safe the Trojans’ first journey to the NCAA Elite Eight since 1994. In a battle that noticed 11 lead modifications, USC made an 8-0 run to get again on high within the fourth quarter, whereas JuJu Watkins labored her approach to her 14th 30-point sport of the season to assist her Trojans earn the Candy 16 victory at this time in Portland, Ore. USC is now 29-5 total.
The lead modified fingers 5 occasions within the first body earlier than USC managed a 10-point lead throughout the second, and the Trojans would grip a 37-31 halftime benefit. USC had shot 40 p.c from the ground in these first 20 minutes, bettering Baylor’s 32 p.c effort from the ground. The groups had been even on the boards at 23 apiece, with USC’s Rayah Marshall hauling in a whopping 11 first-half rebounds. Baylor heated up within the third and shot 65 p.c from the ground to work again on high and lead it 57-53 coming into the fourth. An 8-0 fourth-quarter run by the Trojans erased a three-point gap and had the highest seeds main it with 3:13 to to go, and USC fended off the Bears the remainder of the way in which.
USC completed out the sport capturing 39.4 p.c total to edge out Baylor’s 38.6 p.c. The Bears received the battle of the boards 44-41 and hit 9 3-pointers, however USC’s 5 threes and a 17-of-21 effort from the free-throw line helped the Trojans safe the Candy 16 win.
USC was led by Watkins’ game-high 30 factors, which included a 12-of-13 outing from the free-throw line. McKenzie Forbes was subsequent with 14 factors for USC, whereas Rayah Marshall had her 14th double-double of the season with 11 factors and 16 rebounds. Baylor received 17 factors from Sarah Andrew, 15 from Jada Walker and a double-double from Darianna Littlepage-Buggs with 12 factors and 11 rebounds. Dre’una Edwards additionally collected 12 rebounds for the Bears.
Baylor constructed an early 7-2 lead earlier than the Trojans manufactured a 6-0 rally sparked by a Rayah Marshall bucket after which back-to-back scores from JuJu Watkins to edge forward 7-6 4 minutes into the motion. It was a back-and-forth battle from there, with the lead altering fingers 5 occasions within the first 10 minutes. McKenzie Forbes blasted a 3-pointer to tug the Trojans forward 16-14, after which she’d comply with a Baylor bucket with a strike that had USC forward 18-16 on the finish of the primary. A Bear 3-pointer had it at a two-point margin, solely to see USC subject blocks from Kayla Padilla and JuJu Watkins helped gasoline an 8-0 USC push that had the Trojans forward 32-22 with 4:00 on the clock. The Bears bit again with a 7-0 surge in below a minute that had it as a 35-31 margin with a minute left, however Padilla had the final phrase of the half with a jumper that received USC forward 37-31 for halftime.
Each groups got here out of the locker rooms with scorching fingers, with a mixed 25 factors scored within the first 5 minutes of the third. Kaitlyn Davis delivered her first factors of the day in that stretch, whereas Watkins buried a pair of 3-pointers and delivered an help to Marshall to assist internet a 49-44 USC lead by the five-minute mark. Baylor would reply with back-to-back threes whereas USC’s pictures fell simply off the mark, and the Bears took their first lead because the first quarter with a 50-49 benefit at 2:55. USC nudged again forward with scored from Marshall and Forbes, however the Bears completed out the third on a 7-0 rally that had Baylor on high 57-53 coming into the fourth. USC kicked down the gates of the fourth with a three-point play from Padilla and a 3-pointer from Forbes to shove again forward, up 59-57. Baylor answered again, although, and was up 64-61 with 4:15 on the clock. The it was the Trojans’ flip once more. An 8-0 USC rally ensued, with Watkins delivering an help to Clarice Akunwafo and delivering a guide whereas additionally including a three-point play and two extra free throws to get USC on high 69-64 at 1:49. A Bear blast from 3-point vary carved it to a two-point sport with 1:32 to go, after which Davis took a cost to get USC again the opposite approach within the ultimate minute. Watkins dropped a pair of free throws to make it 71-67 with 26 ticks on the clock, after which Baylor received one again on a 3-pointer at 23 seconds to make it 71-70. Within the final 20 seconds Watkins landed two extra free throws, and after her sixteenth rebound of the day, Marshall hit the all-important entrance finish of her journey to the road with eight ticks to go to assist USC lock up a 74-70 win.
NEXT:
No. 1 seed USC will face No. 3 seed UConn within the Regional Last at 6:15 p.m. PT on Monday (April 1) in Portland, Ore.
NOTABLE:
– USC is making its first journey to the Elite Eight since 1994.
– FR JuJu Watkins scored 30 factors at this time to maneuver into second place on the all-time NCAA freshman scoring listing with 891 factors scored this season, passing Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State) and now standing seven factors behind the all-time freshman scoring chief Tina Hutchinson of San Diego State, who scored 898 factors in 1984.
– Watkins now ranks No. 3 within the Pac-12 for many factors scored by any participant in a single season.
– Watkins now has had 14 video games of 30 or extra factors scored this season
– With 11 factors and 16 rebounds, JR Rayah Marshall recorded her 14th double-double of the season and the thirty fourth of her profession. She has posted a double-double in six of her final eight video games.
– In going 2-for-2 from 3-point vary at this time, GS McKenzie Forbes has made not less than one three-pointer in 31 video games this season.
– During the last 4 video games, Forbes has made 50.0 p.c of her 3-point makes an attempt (15-for-30).
– USC is now 22-0 when scoring 70 or extra factors in a sport this season.
– USC led 37-31 at halftime and is now 25-0 in video games this season when main at halftime.
– USC trailed 57-53 coming into the 4th quarter and improved to 3-5 when trailing coming into the fourth quarter
– USC held Baylor to 38.6 p.c capturing for the sport; Baylor entered the sport averaging 44.5 p.c from the sector on the season.
– USC improved to 12-5 this season in video games determined by 5 factors or much less.
– With 12 free throws made tonight, Watkins prolonged her USC report free of charge throws made in a single season with 273.
– Right this moment was her eighth sport this season registering double figures in free throws made.
– Now 29-5 total, USC has recorded its most wins since going 31-5 in 1985-86 below head coach Linda Sharp.