After routing No. 8-seeded Kansas in their final game at Galen Center this season, the No. 1-seeded Trojans’ March Madness journey continues to Portland, Oregon, where they’ll meet the No. 5-seeded Baylor Bears in the Sweet 16. USC has cruised through its first two NCAA tournament games, while Baylor narrowly overcame No. 4-seeded Virginia Tech 75-72 to advance onward.

Playing in front of the bright lights of the national stage and a win-or-go-home environment hasn’t been a distraction for superstar freshman guard JuJu Watkins. The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year scored 23 and 28 points in the first two rounds, respectively, and didn’t have to play a full 40 minutes in either matchup. She also collected 11 rebounds in the Trojans’ (28-5, 13-5 Pac-12) 73-55 win against the Jayhawks (20-13, 11-7 Big 12) and fed off the electric Galen Center crowd’s constant roars and excitement.

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The same could be said for graduate guard McKenzie Forbes, whose veteran presence complemented the young Watkins in both tournament bouts. Forbes also scored at least 20 points in both rounds and knows that, in her final year, not only is every game possibly the last of her season, but more significantly, the last of her collegiate career.

Junior center Clarice Akunwafo displayed a defensive masterclass against Kansas with six blocks and three steals in just 19 minutes. The backup to junior center Rayah Marshall, Akunwafo provided quality time off the bench. Marshall posted a double-double against No. 16-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (23-9, 14-4 Southland Conference) and pickpocketed the Jayhawks on four occasions.

“Any game could be our last game. It’s the NCAA tournament. It’s March Madness,” Marshall said. “It’s a ton of fun, and we’re not taking any of that for granted. But we’re using it to the best of our advantage to come out here and compete against every team the same.”

Unlike the Trojans, the Bears don’t have a bonafide superstar like Watkins, but rather have a plethora of scoring options and spread-out talent. Junior guard Jada Walker is coming off a career-high 28-point performance against the Hokies (25-8, 14-4 ACC) despite only averaging 8.2 per game this season.

Sophomore guard Bella Fontleroy was Baylor’s catalyst in the first round against No. 12-seeded Vanderbilt (23-10, 9-7 SEC), recording a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double. Her numbers in the game were practically twice her season averages, but she followed up the performance by shooting a lackluster 0-5 from deep with only 9 points.

Senior guard Sarah Andrews posted double-digit points in both rounds. Graduate forward Dre’Una Edwards, the Bears’ leading scorer this season, only tallied 7 points in each game and should look to be more involved against USC. 

“With [Baylor] being a smaller team, I’m going to try to take that personal challenge and dominate inside the paint and rebound as best as I can and get my guards open,” Marshall said.

Baylor likely would’ve seen a different result in the Round of 32 if Virginia Tech’s All-American graduate center Elizabeth Kitley, who suffered an ACL tear at the end of the regular season, was available to play. Regardless, the Bears hope to end USC’s historic season and prove that any team in March can make noise. The 2013 Louisville Cardinals, who were also a fifth seed, made the national championship game, so they’ll serve as an inspiration to hopeful Baylor. The Bears most recently qualified for the Sweet 16 in 2021.

Playing in their first Sweet 16 game in 30 years and eyeing their third national title, the Trojans want to lay out the foundation for winning teams in the coming years and are hungry for a championship result in 2024. With two blowout wins, Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s bunch benefited from having the home fans’ support in rounds one and two but must gear up for a more tame neutral site experience.

“I definitely feel like we’ve had plenty of film to learn from and get better at in both games and that’s a good place to be,” Gottlieb said. “As we advance rounds, it gets harder, and you have to get better.”

A coveted spot in the Elite Eight is on the line, and the scrappy Bears and dominant Trojans are in for a chippy battle in Portland. The two teams will duke it out Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Moda Center.