No. 5 USC Trojans defeat No.2 Stanford Cardinal 74-61, incomes their second and remaining Pac-12 championship.
What a becoming farewell to the Pac-12 Championship.
Underneath head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, the USC Trojans secured the Pac-12 Championship, marking their first convention victory in ten years. Regardless of Stanford being the favored workforce, USC took an early lead and maintained their momentum all through. Demonstrating their strongest win share because the 1993-1994 season, the Trojans have persistently impressed with their bodily prowess all through the season. It has been an actual honor to observe them this season.
TROJANS WIN!!!!! pic.twitter.com/nRyrILGTJZ
— USC Ladies’s Basketball (@USCWBB) March 10, 2024
All of it started with a three-pointer sunk by Senior guard McKenzie Forbes. As a first-year switch from Harvard College, and previously Cal, Forbes scored a game-high 26 factors, making 11 out of 21 area targets and hitting 4 out of 8 three-point makes an attempt. Moreover, she grabbed 5 rebounds, two of which had been on the offensive finish, and contributed two assists together with three steals.
McKenzie Forbes was an unstoppable power
On Dec. 21, the senior scored a career-high 36 factors in opposition to Lengthy Seashore State, and got here up immense in essentially the most unforgettable second, the Pac-12 championship.
Clearly emotional after the sport, Forbes was actually unstoppable throughout each ends of the courtroom. Steals and pull up threes, the senior was locked in. Second on the roster in scoring with 13.1 factors per recreation, Forbes was the glue that secured USC their remaining ever Pac-12 championship. And along with her stellar recreation play, the California native was named the convention MVP.
Surrounded by reporters, Forbes gave an tearful interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe on the courtroom. In her publish recreation speech, the senior shed tears, but was visibly keen about her workforce’s victory.
“I simply love my teammates man,” Forbes instructed Rowe through ESPN. “We deserve this, we labored so arduous. We locked in on the sport plan and no one believed we’d win this and we did it.”
USC impressed with out their greatest star
What stands out about this victory is that USC managed to defeat the second-ranked workforce within the nation, regardless of freshman standout JuJu Watkins having an off night time. With a capturing efficiency of simply 2-15 from the ground, Watkins ended the sport with a season-low 9 factors, together with one block, one help, and three rebounds in 39 minutes of play. Whereas this efficiency is uncharacteristic for the freshman, it underscores USC’s capacity to stay a robust power, even when key gamers face challenges.
Because of this, the Trojans had simply two bench gamers, Clarice Akunwafo and Kayla Williams, who collectively scored 10 factors. Kayla Padilla, who beforehand transferred from Penn State, scored 13 factors with a 50 p.c capturing accuracy from past the arc. In the meantime, junior heart Rayah Marshall led the sport with 18 rebounds and likewise contributed 10 factors. Notably, Marshall secured 5 of her rebounds on the offensive finish.
And for USC, it is not about who scores essentially the most collective factors. Really a workforce effort, the USC Trojans had been by no means favored to win the convention title.
“We love basketball, and that is the very best half about this workforce,” Forbes instructed ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “Nobody cares who will get a shine. Nobody cares who scores 50, who scores zero. Now we have individuals who play their position, who simply go on the market and rebound. It does not matter, we simply need to win.”
USC dominated on the rebounds
Talking of rebounds, performing as a robust power on the glass was the distinction maker for the USC. By out rebounding Stanford 48-28, there have been a plethora of second probability alternatives, together with 21 factors off turnovers. There’s outplaying a workforce on the glass, after which there’s fully dominating a workforce on the rebounds. In USC’s case, it was a show of absolute masterclass on the rebounds.
JuJu Watkins’ first 7 video games of her school profession (all wins).
32 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST18 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK35 PTS, 9 REB, 6 STL, 6 3PT15 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK31 PTS, 12 REB30 PTS, 5 STL, 4 AST30 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST @USCWBB | @ballislifewbb_ pic.twitter.com/HC4UJ6NiOu
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 4, 2023
What an unbelievable freshman season it has been for Watkins. The following generational expertise, she led the Trojans with 27 factors per recreation, and broke a number of data in her first season. The truth is, the Sierra Canyon product is now essentially the most scoring freshman in NCAA girls’s basketball historical past. Whereas Caitlin Clark completed with 799 factors following her freshman 12 months, Watkins is at 801.
An integral a part of the Trojans success this season, Watkins poured in 33 factors, 10 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals within the Pac-12 semifinal in opposition to no. 7 UCLA. Making historical past all season lengthy, the guard broke Cheryl Miller’s document for essentially the most 30-point video games in a season for the USC Trojans.
USC defeated Stanford twice this 12 months
JUJU WATKINS 🔥Broke the USC document for factors in a recreation as a freshman!
51 Points14/26 Taking pictures 6/11 Threes17/19 Free Throws 11 Rebounds 4 Steals
In an upset win over No.4 Stanford pic.twitter.com/c9PtftXwQV
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 3, 2024
Regardless of being ranked No. 1 within the Pac-12 this season, the Cardinal suffered solely 5 losses, one in every of which was in opposition to USC on Feb. 2, with a remaining rating of 67-58. In a outstanding show, JuJu Watkins made historical past by turning into the primary Division 1 freshman to attain 50 factors in a recreation since Elena Delle Donne in 2010. With a formidable 51 factors, she propelled the Trojans to their first victory at Maples Pavilion, the Cardinal’s dwelling courtroom, in 24 years.
Whereas USC has lengthy demonstrated their capacity to compete with Stanford and head coach Tara VanDerveer, it is Stanford that has largely dominated the Pac-12, clinching 5 convention titles since 2015. Regardless of USC’s latest championship win, it marks a major shift within the panorama of one in every of girls’s basketball’s best conferences. With VanDerveer’s affect shaping the trajectory of ladies’s hoops, this victory undoubtedly evokes a variety of feelings. Two notable sentiments embrace disappointment and unhappiness.
With 12 groups a part of the Pac-12, USC will transfer to the Huge Ten, together with UCLA subsequent season. In the meantime, whereas Arizona, Utah, amongst others, will be a part of the Huge 12. Stanford, together with Cal, will be a part of the ACC. The irony on this all? The Pac-12 is among the strongest conferences in girls’s basketball historical past, together with six ranked groups. Cameron Brink, JuJu Watkins, Alissa Pili, the record goes on. The quantity of expertise within the Pac-12 is big, and it’ll indefinitely be missed.
In a bittersweet day, the USC Trojans will transfer onto the NCAA match, the place they may obtain an opportunity to compete for a Nationwide Championship title.
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content material Creator and Social Media Supervisor for Ballislife Bets. She has a concentrate on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane presently resides in Connecticut/NYC space along with her Cat and Canine. SJ has her undergraduate diploma from the College of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in enterprise administration.
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