JuJu Watkins winced, shaking her left hand, the collective basketball world holding its breath. The primary 10 minutes of USC’s match debut had been disconcerting sufficient already. Errant passes sailed away. Makeable jumpers clanked away. And No. 16-seed North Carolina Greensboro, having promised to “shock the world,” was on the very least making life tough on the top-seeded Trojans.
Then, their star sophomore went up for a rebound early within the second quarter and emerged from underneath the ring wincing with ache, a picture that will inevitably conjure ideas of the worst doable state of affairs.
Watkins would ultimately shake away the ache. A smothering USC press would ultimately put a cease to Greensboro’s plucky begin. And the Trojans would ultimately roll by way of their first-round opponent with a convincing 71-25 win, transferring on to the NCAA match’s second spherical the place they’ll face whoever wins on Saturday afternoon between California and Mississippi State.
That’s to not say it at all times appeared fairly. After the Trojans shook off a sluggish begin, their offense nonetheless wasn’t working anyplace close to its peak. Watkins scored 22, however exterior of their star, the Trojans shot 19 of 55 from the sector.
USC ahead Kiki Iriafen makes an attempt a reverse layup towards UNC Greensboro ahead Khalis Cain throughout the first half of an NCAA match first-round recreation Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Occasions)
Whilst USC’s bigs towered over most of Greensboro’s lineup, the Sixteenth-seeded Spartans nonetheless managed to make life tough for Kiki Iriafen, doubling her on entry passes and matching her physicality across the basket. The third crew All-American wouldn’t rating her first level till a couple of minutes remained within the first half. She completed with 13 factors to go together with 13 rebounds.
It was USC’s protection that in the end made the distinction. With the Trojans main by only a bucket, early within the second quarter, coach Lindsay Gottlieb enacted a full-court press, and USC flew into motion, disrupting every possession from there.
Greensboro didn’t rating a single bucket from the sector within the second quarter, because it struggled mightily simply to get the ball previous halfcourt. Within the third quarter, it made a single three-pointer … and nothing else from the sector.
By that time, the Trojans had been already rolling onto the second spherical. Their protection would enable solely 17 factors complete after a irritating first quarter. Greensboro would shoot a meager 13%, the worst charge by any USC opponent this season.
Watkins would briefly go away the court docket within the third quarter, limping to the locker room after rolling an ankle. However she’d return to complete the sport, permitting the USC trustworthy to exhale as soon as once more.
USC guards JuJu Watkins and Kennedy Smith have a good time throughout their rout of UNC Greensboro in an NCAA match first-round recreation Saturday at Galen Middle.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Occasions)
Nonetheless, the irritating begin was sufficient to offer some pause, as USC appeared nothing like a No. 1 seed with Last 4 aspirations out of the gate Saturday. They had been sloppy with the ball, committing three turnovers within the first three minutes. They struggled to use their important measurement benefit on the within — or to knock down a lot of something from the perimeter. Two minutes into the second quarter, their lead over the Spartans stood at simply two factors.
However that’s the place the stalemate stopped. Quickly sufficient, USC was transferring on, one recreation nearer to the place its season has at all times been main.
