USC routs Mississippi State to reach Sweet 16 after losing Watkins to injury
Published
LOS ANGELES -- — JuJu Watkins went down with a gruesome-looking knee injury five minutes into Monday night's game. Top-seeded Southern California kept going without its star player, pummeling Mississippi State 96-59 to reach the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
Watkins scored three points on free throws before injuring her right knee. The crowd went silent as she writhed in pain and clutched her knee while her teammates looked on helplessly and coach Lindsay Gottlieb rushed to her side. Watkins was carried off the floor by multiple people.
“She's being seen by our great medical team,” Gottlieb told ESPN at halftime. “JuJu is the toughest kid I know and she's gonna be good one way or another.”
Her teammates were terrific in her absence. They kept their poise while building leads of 28-8 after one quarter, 50-27 at halftime and 75-42 after three.
Kiki Iriafen, a Stanford graduate transfer, scored a season-high 36 points on 16-of-22 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. She left with 6:29 remaining and the crowd chanting, “Kiki! Kiki!” Freshman Avery Howell added 18 points, hitting four 3-pointers.
The Bulldogs were led by Jerkaila Jordan with 17 points.
The Trojans (30-3) were up 34 points in the third. Their fans loved it, getting on their feet and roaring, especially when Iriafen waved both arms in the air, urging them on.
Mississippi State couldn't handle the bigger Trojans, who instead of being deflated without Watkins seemed hell-bent on punishing their opponent.
The Bulldogs (22-12) had more than just the Trojans to contend with. The home crowd, angered by the loss of one of the game's biggest stars, booed every time MSU touched the ball and their cheerleaders heard it, too, getting jeered during a halftime routine.
The victory keeps the Trojans on a potential collision course with Paige Bueckers and UConn in the regional final in Spokane, Washington. They got knocked out by the Huskies in last year's Elite Eight.
Key moment
Losing Watkins early in the game gave the Trojans a chance to showcase their depth. They had five players in double figures, including three of their seven freshmen.
Key stat
The Bulldogs are known for their defensive prowess, but USC forced them into 20 turnovers that led to 27 points for the Trojans.
Up next
The Trojans play fifth-seeded Kansas State (28-7) in the Spokane 4 regional semifinals on Saturday.
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