This looked awfully familiar for USC women’s basketball. Didn’t we in fact see this just 67 hours earlier, on Sunday night? USC was locked in a close game midway through the third quarter. Then it locked down on defense and sped away from an opponent which simply could not keep up. This is what happened on Sunday night against Michigan. It happened again on Wednesday versus Nebraska in a New Year’s Day matinee game.
Sunday against Michigan, USC was roped into a slugfest against the Wolverines but then used a 29-3 run in 9:40 to break the game open and ultimately win by 20 points, 78-58.
Wednesday versus Nebraska, USC had a small lead of just three points a few minutes into the third quarter. Then USC’s boa constrictor-level defense smothered the Husker offense. Nebraska scored just nine points in the next 14 minutes. USC went on a 32-9 run to take a 71-45 lead. It won by 20, 75-55.
Tough game for two halves. Third-quarter surge. Massive run. Win by 20.
USC simply turned on the defense and piled up JuJu Watkins free throws in the third quarter to create a second-half runaway.
JuJu Watkins made 10 free throws in the third quarter on Sunday versus Michigan. She made nine in the third quarter on Wednesday versus Nebraska.
Sunday against Michigan, USC shut out its opponent for the first 4:40 of the quarter. Wednesday against Nebraska, USC shut out its opponent for the first 6:09 of the quarter.
These games weren’t exact replicas, but they sure were close enough to notice. The USC second-half blitz did the job again.
Now USC goes on the road. The Trojans face Rutgers Sunday night in New Jersey on Big Ten Network at 5 p.m. Los Angeles time.