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No. 7 USC holds on to beat No. 4 UConn after yielding 18-point lead

jack baer
Staff writer
·2-min read
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) on the court in the first half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
JuJu Watkins vs. Paige Bueckers was as fun as advertised. (David Butler II-Imagn Images)

UConn and USC's top 10 showdown and Elite Eight rematch between future WNBA stars didn't disappoint.

Despite surrendering an 18-point lead in the second half, the No. 7 Trojans held on for a wild 72-70 win on the road against the No. 4 Huskies. The win gives USC some measure of revenge for getting bounced out of the Elite Eight by the Huskies in last year's NCAA tournament.

It all came down to a final possession in which UConn's Sarah Strong was fouled on a 3-pointer while down 72-69 with 4.5 seconds remaining. Strong made the first free throw, but missed the second one, requiring her to miss the third and hope for a rebound.

UConn's Paige Bueckers got the key board, but Strong's attempt at a game-winning 3-pointer, more a half-court heave than proper shot, was well off.

As expected, USC's JuJu Watkins was the star of the show, with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Two of those points and one of those blocks came on this play:

USC was up 51-33 early in the third quarter, but a 14-2 UConn run made it a game again, bringing the home crowd in Hartford back into it. Another quick run in the fourth quarter gave UConn a small lead, but USC had answers at every step after that.

Had UConn finished off the comeback, the glory would have belonged to Bueckers and Strong, who both posted 22 points. Strong also had 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals.

In Watkins and Bueckers, the game featured the likely No. 1 picks for two different WNBA Drafts, not to mention other top 2025 prospects, such as USC's Kiki Iriafen and UConn's Azzi Fudd. Fudd was returning from a three-game absence due to a minor knee sprain, but was still clearly limited, finishing with zero points on 0-of-4 shooting.

USC also brought back starter Kennedy Smith after a month-plus absence, getting nine points and three rebounds out of her. Still, with Fudd limited, UConn can at least say it was still not quite 100%.