Though few on the USC roster had NCAA Tournament experience going into Saturday’s round 1 matchup, they handled themselves like pros, running to an 87-55 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
JuJu Watkins, who averages 27 points per game for the Trojans, got off to a slow start, but finished with 23 on the day. McKenzie Forbes had 23 points and Rayah Marshall put up 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in pacing the team to the second round for the first time since 2006.
Coach Lindsay Gottlieb had high praise for her squad.
“I thought (JuJu) had a terrific debut here, made all the right decisions,” she said. “Kenzie is playing as well as virtually any guard in the country in terms of leadership, and knocking down shots.”
But despite their offensive firepower, USC’s defense also stood out, as they recorded 14 blocks – 10 of which were delivered in the first period. The Islanders trailed 36-20 at halftime and 71-41 going into the final quarter. Mireia Aguado had 15 points and Alecia Westbrook added 12 for TAMUCC.
Since winning the Pac-12 Tournament title two weeks prior, the Trojans have been practicing. Forbes said the team was…
