Basketball has the idea that one player can create a team. To be honest, it's often true. Players can come in and raise bad teams to a higher position. Often, reports around USC Trojans and guard Juju Watkins make it seem like the Big Ten regular season champions are in the position they are in this March just for Watkins. Saturday was a Big Ten tournament, and that myth was destroyed.
The Trojan horse, whose No. 1 tournament was seeded, faced No. 5 on Saturday. Michigan Wolverine. On paper, Wolverine launched three freshmen, with the Trojans defeating Michigan State with 20 points during the regular season to greatly support USC. Basketball games are not played on paper.
Michigan brings the same intensity on Friday, when manager Kim Burns Alico lost Maryland Terrapin Up to 26 points. Wolverine gave the Trojans a fight, making Star Watkins' day difficult.
In the first quarter, Michigan guard Silla Sword led the charge, scoring 10 of Wolverine's 15 points in the first quarter. When the two teams played in the regular season, the sword was unavailable, making it an unwelcome introduction for Trojan fans.
“Obviously I've known her for a while because I'm with Syra on the Canadian national team. But I think she plays with a lot of heart and a lot of passion,” USC guard Avery Howell said. “We definitely knew that would certainly be a different maker for our team.”
Michigan senior Jordan Hobbs joined the sword with eight points in the second quarter, creating a nine-point lead. This is not part of the story where Watkins turns on another gear and bails out USC from the deficit. Watkins scored four points in the first half, two-ninths off the floor, allowing three turnovers.
Watkins started the second half with a mid-range jumper and cut UM's lead to two points again, but returned to the other Trojans. Forward Kiki Iliafen scored 12 points in the third quarter, tied the game twice, giving the Trojans the first second half lead, leaving 1:58 in that period.
“Juju and Kiki in particular play not only with their talent, but with a fierce and competitive will about them, and they play in a way that is not actually a script,” coach Lindsay Gottley said.
With Watkins getting offensively quiet in the first three quarters, Iliafen yelled, scoring 20 of his fourth quarter's 25 points against the Michigan team, who had all the rights to compete with the Trojans. USC also got help from Kennedy Smith and Raya Marshall, who scored nine points respectively.
Sword finished the game with 26 points, six rebounds and three steals, earning a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Fellow freshman Olivia Olson added 13 points and nine rebounds. Michigan has a dangerous team in the Big Ten and across the nation for years to come. However, Saturday's fourth quarter was all about USC.
The fourth quarter comes when Howell advances. The Canadian freshman, normally known as the three-point shooter, spent a lot of time beyond the arc, becoming two-eighth, and Howell influenced the game in other ways.
“I think it's obviously ju today [JuJu Watkins] And kick [Kiki Iriafen] said Howell. “It wasn't so hot from the three of us today, so we tried to exercise other things, leak and get a layup. Maria. [Samuels] I found me a few times around the edge. We knew that the fourth quarter would be huge for our team, so we tried to show up in every way we could. ”
Howell scored eight points in the frame. This includes attacks on the basket with bonus shots from the free throw line. This was one of four and one opportunity for the Trojans this quarter.
Howell's slow scoring was only behind Watkins, who added 11 points, making a difference in the 12-point victory.
Now there was a reason Watkins didn't have that big game compared to some of the other performances that year. However, earning 20 points on 11 rebounds is a great game for most players in the country, but Watkins is not a very few.
The Michigan state player was waiting for her when Watkins scored the ball on the midcourt.
“It was probably frustrating,” Gottlieb said of the Star Guard. “When she held the ball in her hand she was locked up and doubled. We tried to show some of her under the defense, but there were plenty of bodies there.”
Watkins was neutralized almost in three-quarters, so the team appeared and when Watkins broke free in the fourth, he paired with his teammates to deal with adversity and show a USC team conditioned to succeed with or without Watkins.
USC and Michigan were tied to the game with the rest of 6:29. USC made a 14-point run in under three minutes to put the game down.
“I think the fourth quarter burst is a few different things. A, I think we have a good form of elite athlete,” Gottlieb said. “I think our players are incredibly competitive and willing to win.”
