JuJu Watkins leads USC women's basketball to record-setting 85-point rout
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Juju Watkins and USC women's basketball set multiple program records Tuesday night with a 124-39 victory over the Cal State Northridge Matadors, marking the largest margin of victory ever for USC basketball — men's or women's — and breaking the school's single-game scoring record. The Trojans' overwhelming performance also happened to be head coach Lindsay Gottlieb's 300th career win.
Watkins led USC, scoring 21 points, nearly securing a double-double with nine assists, while adding six steals and three blocks. The team recorded 17 three-pointers, a USC single-game high since the 1987-88 season. Gottlieb praised the team's complete effort, highlighting their aggressive defense and efficient shooting.
“I thought tonight we kept our foot on the gas defensively. We tried to really compete against the details of the game,” Gottlieb said, per Isabel Gonzalez of CBS Sports. “We pushed the ball, we moved the ball, we shot it well. So I’m happy for our players to see the ball go in because I knew we are a good shooting team and we’d heat up a little bit.”
JuJu Watkins, five other Trojans score in double figures
The Trojans outscored CSUN 97-20 in the first three quarters. CSUN managed only 12 field goals and surrendered 63 points from 43 turnovers. Watkins was one of six Trojans to reach double figures.
USC's new transfers Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelfhoffen also played key roles. Iriafen scored 15 points, hitting both of her three-point attempts, while von Oelfhoffen, who hadn't made a three-pointer in the first two games, connected on three from beyond the arc for a total of 13 points. Freshman Kennedy Smith added 10 points, and Rayah Marshall finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
The depth of USC's roster was further showcased by the bench, with freshmen Kayleigh Heckel and Avery Howell contributing 14 and 11 points, respectively. Gottlieb expressed her pride in the team's improvement, especially after USC’s close season opener in Paris against Ole Miss.
“There has not been one single day when I haven’t thought at one time, ‘I can’t believe I get paid to do this.'” Gottlieb told her team after the game. “I’ve been sad, I’ve been mad. I’ve been happy. I’ve been everything in between, but always, always grateful … It has been the honor of my lifetime to be the coach here and to do what we are doing here together.”
The Trojans will look to build on their historic win when they face Santa Clara at the Galen Center on Friday.
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