(Thechieftainspear) – JuJu Watkins added her name to the NCAA record books on Sunday, surpassing Caitlin Clark for the most points scored in the first two seasons of an NCAA women’s career. Clark previously held the mark with 1,662 points as a freshman and sophomore, but Watkins eclipsed that total in the first half of USC’s Big Ten title showdown with UCLA.
Watkins finished the game with 29 points, boosting her career total to 1,683. However, her milestone achievement wasn’t enough to lift top-seeded USC to victory. The Trojans, who entered as 2.5-point favorites, struggled to maintain their early momentum and fell to UCLA in a 72-67 upset.
USC appeared in control early, building a 48-35 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the third quarter. But their offense stalled, scoring only six points for the remainder of the period. That lapse allowed the Bruins to claw their way back, cutting the deficit to just two points at the start of the fourth quarter.
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“We struggled in the second half,” Watkins admitted after the game.
Despite her scoring output, Watkins faced difficulties against UCLA’s defense, shooting 9-for-28 from the field and committing five turnovers.
“We kept our energy up, but the shots just weren’t falling,” she said. “We tried to fight back, but it didn’t work out.”
With the victory, UCLA claimed the Big Ten championship and improved to 30-2 for the season. Interestingly, both of the Bruins’ losses came against USC in the regular season. The Trojans now sit at 28-3 but remain a strong candidate for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
The official tournament brackets will be revealed on Sunday, March 16.
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