USC no. 7 holds on to beat no. 4 UConn after blowing an 18-point lead

On By Littum

December 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) on the court during the first half at the XL Center. Mandatory credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

JuJu Watkins vs. Paige Bueckers was as fun as advertised in USC-UConn. (David Butler II-Imagn Photos)

UConn and USC’s top 10 matchup and Elite Eight rematch between future WNBA stars did not disappoint.

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

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

UConn’s Paige Bueckers got the keyboard, but Strong’s attempt at a game-winning 3-pointer, more of a half-court lift than a proper shot, was good enough.

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 Hartford home crowd back into the game. Another quick run in the fourth quarter gave UConn a small lead, but USC had answers every step of the way after that.

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

In Watkins and Buuckers, the game featured the likely no. 1 pick in two different WNBA drafts, not to mention other top 2025 prospects such as USC’s Kiki Iriafen and UConn’s Azzi Fudd. Fudd returned 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, at least UConn can say it still wasn’t quite 100%.