USC Trojans 'JuJu Watkins Has Perfect First Half In Win Over Penn State Nittany Lions

The No. 4 USC Trojans women’s basketball team is 16-1, with an undefeated 6-0 record in Big Ten conference play. The Trojans are coming off a dominating win against Penn State, 95-73. Star USC guard JuJu Watkins had an unforgettable first half.
In the first half of the game, Watkins scored 23 points with a perfect 8-8 shooting. She also had eight rebounds and three blocks. The Women of Troy led the game 56-31 at halftime.
Watkins finished the game with 35 points and 11 rebounds, with a career-high 13-of-15 shooting. She also recorded her third double-double of the season with 35 points and 11 rebounds. It is the 12th of her collegiate career so far.
After the game, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb spoke to the media about the first half after struggling in the first two quarters for multiple games. While still leading, Gottlieb believed the team had to come out stronger at the start of games.
“That run in the second quarter was impressive and we know we have the ability to do that and then it’s just really understanding our power to then continue to do that possession after possession,” Gottlieb said.
USC forward Kiki Iriafen has been another star on the USC team this season. Watkins and Iriafen combined for 63 points against Penn State. Iriafen spoke after the game about what it is like playing with Watkins and how it has led to the Trojan’s success this season.
“I think one, playing with JuJu, she’s like very infectious with the way she plays so when she’s going hard, when she’s like, you know amped up, it kind of like flows with the rest of the team,” Iriafen said.
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Watkins has spoken about how she plays her best when having fun. With the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, Watkins spoke about how she was still able to have a dominating performance.
“Our goal was just - put on a show, and entertain people for a couple of house. And I think I kind of took pride in that as well in my performance,” Watkins said.
The Trojans hosted USC alumni during the game, introducing them at halftime. Among the former players to visit was Cherie Nelson, who held the record for scoring 50 points in a game. Watkins beat that record this season scoring 51-points.
“There was a woman in the locker room named Cherie Nelson, who quite honestly I’d never met before and she held a scoring record at USC for a very long time with a 50-point game and she told us that she’s been reading about how well we’re doing and wanted to come and meet JuJu and meet the team,” Gottlieb said.
Gottlieb went on to speak about the team's impact despite the devastation in California. The wildfires in Los Angeles have been a tragedy, and the team has a chance to entertain people in tough times. Nelson’s 98-year-old mom was among the many who lost her house, but her mother still wanted to watch the team.
“Her mom lost her home in Altadena this past week,” Gottlieb went on to say. “With dealing with that, you know was probably up in the air if they were going to come and her mom said no I want to go see the USC women’s team play, and so to have them in the locker room was really special.”
The Women of Troy have now won 12 straight games. It is the first time since the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons that the Trojans have gone back-to-back years with ten games or more win streaks. The No. 4 USC Trojans will next face the 12-4 Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 19.
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