USC women’s basketball thrives without two key starters, and with JuJu Watkins being sick

Lindsay Gottlieb gathered a lot of information.

The depth and quality of this USC women’s basketball team will be tested in Pac-12 Conference play. That depth and quality were on display Monday night in the Galen Center.

Fans and onlookers will see a typical USC blowout of an inferior opponent. USC thrashed Cal State Fullerton, 93-44, doing what it has done to a lot of other teams this season.

However, the details below the surface were different in this game. USC’s normal blowout came under not-very-normal circumstances.

JuJu Watkins was playing with a stomach bug, for one thing. She still powered through her discomfort to score 23 points and post 6 rebounds with 6 assists in 28 minutes.

Of greater note is that USC was without two of its three best players in this game. Rayah Marshall and Kaitlyn Davis did not play, possibly because USC is playing a Thursday afternoon game against Long Beach State this week. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb might have wanted to give them the best possible odds of being ready to play in that contest, the last tune-up before the UCLA game on December 30.

Clarice Akunwafo played 25 minutes and went 5 for 5 from the field, scoring 10 points while collecting 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots.

Taylor Bigby played 30 minutes and scored 15 points. She added 4 assists and 2 blocked shots. Nine different Trojans played at least 13 minutes with Marshall and Davis out. This roster had a chance to play together in different combinations not often seen this season. Gottlieb and assistant coach Beth Burns got a chance to tinker with some new lineups which could unearth helpful information heading into Pac-12 play.

USC visits Long Beach State Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. local time. It’s the last game before Christmas and the Pac-12 gauntlet awaiting the Women of Troy.

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