EUGENE, ORE. - February 16th, 2024
No. 10 USC saw freshman JuJu Watkins cross the 30-point mark for the 10th time this season, matching Cheryl Miller's USC record while helping to propel the Trojans to its first win in Eugene since 2014 as the Trojans dominated the Ducks 88-51 tonight. A whopping 10 Trojans scored in the win, which pushed USC to 19-4 overall and to 9-4 in Pac-12 play. Oregon is now 11-15, 2-11.
USC made an early statement with a 19-0 run - its longest in a Pac-12 game this season - to stun the Ducks and build momentum for a 57-21 lead at halftime. JuJu Watkins had outscored Oregon singlehandedly in those first 20 minutes with 24 points as the Trojans shot 56.8 percent in the first half. Oregon recovered from just seven points in the first quarter to end up at 27 percent from the floor by the break. USC also was ahead on the boards 27-18. USC slowed in the third before kicking back into gear in the fourth to finish out the game at 47.9 percent overall, with 10 threes landed, 20 assists dished out and 45 rebounds collected. Oregon closed things down at 33.3 percent shooting overall with 12 turnovers and 40 rebounds.
For the 21st time this season, JuJu Watkins led USC in scoring, delivering 33 points to pull even with Cheryl Millers USC record of 10 games scoring 30 or more points in a single season. She had nine other Trojans in the scoring column tonight, with McKenzie Forbes adding 12 and Kaitlyn Davis notching her first double-double as a Trojan with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Rayah Marshall pulled in 12 boards to help USC outrebound the Ducks 45-40. Oregon was led in scoring by Chance Gray's 12 points and 11 from Grace VanSlooten, while Phillipina Kyei had a double-double on 10 points and 18 rebounds.
The Ducks struck first, only to see the Trojans fire off on a 19-0 surge, with Watkins delivering 12 points in that USC onslaught to lead it 19-2. Oregon broke its six minutes of silence, but USC would combine three blocks on the defensive end with an eight-point run at the other end to go up 27-4 at 1:15. After 10 minutes of action, USC held a 29-7 lead on the Ducks. The hits kept coming in the next stretch, as a 7-0 USC rally late in the second carried the Trojans to a 52-17 lead, and Watkins would have the last word of the half with a bomb from distance to make it 57-21 at halftime.
Oregon would find its scoring touch in the third and craft a 10-0 run to carve into USC's lead before Kayla Padilla delivered in the lane to make it 62-33 at the midpoint of the frame. The Ducks would deliver another short run later, only to see Padilla punch up a 3-pointer to wrap the quarter as a 70-42 USC advantage. USc unfurled an 8-0 run in the fourth, highlighted by Watkins crossing the 30-point mark for the 10th time this season to match a single-season record set by Cheryl Miller. Roxane Makolo would become the 10th Trojan to score on the night with a bucket at 1:30, and USC would pocket an 88-51 final win over the Ducks.
NEXT:
USC's next action takes the No. 10 Trojans to Corvallis looking for a season sweep of No. 11 Oregon State when the two ranked teams clash at 12 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 18).
NOTABLE:
- With 33 points tonight, FR JuJu Watkins recorded her 10th game of the season with 30 or more points - tying a USC record set by Cheryl Miller in 1984-85.
- With three 3-pointers and six free throws made today, Watkins is now No. 1 all-time in the most free throws scored by a USC freshman (142) in a season and third all-time in the most 3-pointers scored by a USC freshman (47) in a season).
- Watkins has led USC in scoring in 21 of the 22 games she's played as a Trojan.
- GS Kaitlyn Davis recorded her first double-double at USC with 10 points and a season-high 11 rebounds.
- With 12 rebounds, JR Rayah Marshall recorded her 11th game this season with double-digit rebounds.
- With two 3-pointers made tonight, GS McKenzie Forbes has hit at least one three in the past 21 games.
- USC is now 10-2 when GS Kayla Padilla hits two or more 3-pointers
- RS SO Taylor Bigby has now hit at least one 3-pointer in the past four games.
- SR Kayla Williams collected her first block of the season tonight.
- The last time USC scored 88 points against Oregon was in 2014, when the Trojans last beat the Ducks in Eugene (Feb. 14, 2014)
- USC's win snaps an eight-game losing streak against Oregon in Eugene, dating back to 2014..
- USC is now 14-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
- The Trojans are now 9-0 with at least 20 assists this season.
- USC had a season-high 45 rebounds.
- USC's 10 different scorers tonight marked the most Trojans to score against a Pac-12 team this season.
- With 10 threes made tonight, USC continues to lead the Pac-12 in the number of games this season with 10 or more 30-pointers.