WOMEN’S BASKETBALL — 2023-24
USC vs. UConn — as it happened
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Scoring plays
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📌 PINNED
Thomas Johnson & Kasey Kazliner from Moda Center; photos by Bryce Dechert and Jordan Renville
A trip to the Final Four is on the line. No. 1-seeded USC is taking on No. 3-seeded UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Tonight, freshman guard JuJu Watkins is 7 points away from breaking Tina Hutchinson’s all-time Division I freshman scoring record, but in Watkins’ eyes, she is chasing something greater: The Trojans’ first Final Four appearance since 1986.
We’ll be reporting live from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Refresh to see new updates.
8:41 p.m.
FINAL: USC’s historic season is cut short by UConn as the Huskies take an 80-73 win in the Elite Eight. UConn advances to the Final Four in Cleveland, Ohio, while the Trojans head back to Los Angeles following a triumphant run and their best season in decades.
8:37 p.m.
Marshall sinks a put-back layup, but with 17 seconds to go and down 5, it might not be enough.
8:34 p.m.
Under half a minute to play, Huskies up 7. This one looks all but over for the Trojans.
8:31 p.m.
UConn heads to the charity stripe as USC fouls intentionally. Edwards looks to put the nail in the coffin at the line.
8:29 p.m.
The Huskies are putting the game out of reach. Mühl sinks a free throw but misses the second, allowing her team to grab the offensive board and run the clock down. Just under a minute to go; UConn leads by 12.
8:26 p.m.
Edwards uses her size to penetrate inside to draw an and-one. Forbes can’t connect from long range and UConn is up by 9.
8:23 p.m.
Gottlieb uses a timeout. The Trojans have been unable to stop Bueckers’ elusiveness. UConn has made five of its last seven field goal attempts, while USC has been inconsistent on the opposite end. It’s 70-64 Huskies with just under three to play.
8:20 p.m.
Bueckers nails a deep 3-pointer and USC can’t respond. Huskies up 6 with just over three minutes to go.
8:20 p.m.
Bueckers extends UConn’s lead to 5, but Watkins draws a foul on the opposite end. The Huskies have gotten themselves in deep foul trouble.
8:18 p.m.
The Huskies bite back, scoring 4 consecutive points following USC’s comeback. Marshall heads to the charity stripe for two shots.
8:12 p.m.
Watkins brings USC back within 3, hitting a layup with ease. She’s up to 21 points on the evening. Forbes then ties the game on the very next possession with a deep heave from beyond the arc.
8:10 p.m.
The fourth quarter is underway. Senior forward Aaliyah Edwards gets things started for UConn, converting an and-one. Watkins responds in kind on the other end, doing the same.
8:03 p.m.
Padilla beats the buzzer and hits an important 3-pointer, her first make of the night. The graduate missed her first six shot attempts and now brings the deficit back to 4 points to end the third quarter.
8:01 p.m.
Redshirt sophomore guard Taylor Bigby scores her first bucket of the night, a 3-pointer to bring the game within 4 points. The Huskies’ scoring drought continues.
8:00 p.m.
UConn still leads by 7, but hasn’t scored in over two minutes. USC will look to capture momentum here in the third quarter.
7:54 p.m.
USC is in the bonus with under three minutes to go in the third quarter. Senior guard Nika Mühl has four personal fouls.
7:53 p.m.
Bueckers is stealing the show. The redshirt junior has 19 points on 50% shooting and is smoothly driving down the lane with ease.
7:47 p.m.
USC is shooting 22% to start the third quarter and is now down by double digits. Watkins has only shot the ball 10 times, which is unlike her. UConn leads 50-40 following an electric start to the second half.
7:47 p.m.
The Trojan role players are struggling tonight, but Forbes has started to heat up with two 3-pointers this half. But the duo of graduate forward Kaitlyn Davis and graduate guard Kayla Padilla have combined to go 1-for-12 from the field. Huskies lead 47-40 with less than five minutes left in the third.
7:45 p.m.
Foul trouble will be an issue for a Husky team that rarely uses its bench. Two UConn players have three fouls, and two others each have a pair of fouls.
7:42 p.m.
UConn quickly tallies 8 points to start the second half and USC has trouble responding on the other end. The Huskies lead 39-33 with 7:15 to play in the penultimate quarter.
7:36 p.m.
Forbes hits the final triple of her second-half warmup. The Trojans will need her to heat up at that range, with the graduate sitting at 1-for-6 from deep and the game tied at 33. The second half is about to start.
7:21 p.m.
At the half, both teams are knotted up at 33 points. Watkins leads USC with 13 points on 50% shooting, while Bueckers has 15 for UConn on 45% from the field.
7:20 p.m.
Watkins does what she does best, driving to the basket and drawing a foul. If the Trojans are going to win this game, Watkins will need to play like her normal self and not be afraid to draw contact near the basket. The star freshman knocks down both from the line to tie the game at 33 apiece. Less than a minute left in the first half.
7:18 p.m.
Marshall puts in a layup, and grabs a steal on the other end, leading to a drawn foul to get her to the charity stripe. The center is up to 8 points this evening.
7:16 p.m.
Following a scoring drought that lasted over two minutes, Forbes hits a jumper for 2 to make it 31-27 in favor of UConn.
7:12 p.m.
UConn leads 26-22 over halfway through the second quarter. It’s been a physical game thus far, with 13 fouls combined for both teams.
7:08 p.m.
BREAKING: Notching 8 points so far tonight, JuJu Watkins breaks the all-time NCAA Division I women’s freshman scoring record, with 899 career points and counting in her first season. San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson had held the previous record since 1984, with 898 points her freshman season.
7:06 p.m.
UPDATE: the official scorer has changed an earlier Bueckers basket to a 3-pointer, increasing the Husky lead to 6 points.
7:04 p.m.
Freshman guard Qadence Samuels hits a 3-pointer to give the Huskies a 5-point lead, their largest of the game to force Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb to call a timeout. UConn leads 25-19 with 6:12 left in the half.
7:02 p.m.
UConn takes its first lead of the night as freshman guard KK Arnold drives in for the score. The Huskies are up 21-19 with 6:47 to go until halftime.
7:00 p.m.
Both teams are struggling from behind the arc; USC is 1-for-6 while UConn is 0-for-5. Perimeter defense hasn’t been the strongest, but both squads haven’t found an accurate stroke yet.
6:55 p.m.
The first quarter comes to a close with the Trojans up 17-15. Forbes leads USC with 8 points while Bueckers has 7 to lead the Huskies. A lackluster 6-for-18 from the field, USC will aim to limit shooting woes heading into the second frame.
6:53 p.m.
A Forbes jumper snaps UConn’s 9-0 run that tied the game at 15. USC leads 17-15 with under half a minute to go in the first quarter.
6:42 p.m.
Watkins adds her name to the scoring list as she hits a mid-range shot almost midway through the first frame. On the very next possession, the highly touted freshman makes an and-one jumper.
6:40 p.m.
Missed connections aplenty. Both teams have been trying to get the rock to their star players Watkins and Bueckers, but on back-to-back possessions, the passes are errant.
6:38 p.m.
Junior center Rayah Marshall knocks down both free throws to give the Trojans a 7-2 lead through nearly three minutes of play. Marshall has 4 of USC’s points.
6:37 p.m.
Early on in the game, graduate guard McKenzie Forbes is tasked with guarding UConn’s redshirt junior Paige Bueckers, the former AP Player of the Year.
6:33 p.m.
The public address announcer stated that Iowa defeated LSU to advance to the Final Four. The winner of UConn-USC will face the Hawkeyes in Cleveland, Ohio.
6:26 p.m.
The time has come. Trojans versus Huskies. The No. 1 seed against the No. 3 seed. JuJu Watkins facing off against Paige Bueckers. A matchup set to become an instant classic. A Final Four spot on the line.
There’s nothing better than this. The action at Moda Center is getting started.
6:19 p.m.
UConn’s opening cast:
G Paige Bueckers
G KK Arnold
G Nika Mühl
G Ashlynn Shade
F Aaliyah Edwards
6:17 p.m.
USC’s starting five:
G JuJu Watkins
G McKenzie Forbes
G Kayla Padilla
F Kaitlyn Davis
C Rayah Marshall
5:52 p.m.
UConn fans have traveled well and are making their presence known early. Right after the Huskies went back into the locker room, the UConn faithful started a “call and response” chant of “UConn” followed by “Huskies.” Still over 34 minutes left until tipoff.
5:40 p.m.
Each respective team is out for warmups. A key for the Trojans will be tiring out the already limited UConn Huskies. UConn only had eight players out for its team shoot around and dynamic stretching.
4:30 p.m.
In two hours, USC and UConn will compete in the concluding matchup of one of the most historic days in NCAA women’s basketball history.
Refresh for live updates when the tipoff approaches.
Read Kasey Kazliner’s preview of the matchup here.
