As the clock wound down in the second quarter leading up to halftime, it was evident that sophomore guard JuJu Watkins was on a heater. Senior center Rayah Marshall quickly scanned the floor, finding Watkins just behind the 3-point line. In the blink of an eye, Watkins dribbled twice, stepped back and launched the ball up. Before the shot could even graze the hoop, Watkins’ head was already turning away from the basket — her confidence unwavering that her shot was going in.

This play perfectly sums up No. 6 USC’s (7-1) game against California Baptist (0-9) on Tuesday evening at Galen Center. The Trojans were simply unstoppable against the Lancers, a promising sign for their first-ever Big Ten matchup against Oregon (6-2) this Saturday in Eugene. 

USC picked up its seventh win of the season Tuesday when they overpowered Cal Baptist 94-52. Despite taking their first loss of the season to Notre Dame (5-2) in November, the Trojans seem to be looking stronger than ever.

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By halftime of Tuesday’s game, the Trojans were already leading by 30. USC looked tough, giving the Lancers no chance to make any headway toward a comeback.

Watkins, graduate forward Kiki Iriafen and graduate guard Talia von Oelhoffen were simply dominant. Watkins had an outstanding performance, scoring a season-high 40 points.

Watkins’ speed was prevalent and powerful early in the game, as she breezed past experienced junior forward Grace Schmidt to score numerous points in the paint, getting the Trojans off to a strong start.

“I think just remembering I’m having fun out there. Whenever I start to feel really anxious, I never play my best,” Watkins said in a postgame press conference Tuesday.

Iriafen also played well, putting up 18 points as well as 10 rebounds. Von Oelhoffen was USC’s third-leading scorer, racking up 14 points and dishing out 6 assists.

Throughout the Notre Dame game, USC struggled to make shots from behind the 3-point line, a key factor contributing to its defeat. The Trojans shot a mere 7.7% from behind the arc, and the Fighting Irish were able to exploit their tough shooting night.

However, against the Lancers, the team stepped it up, shooting an impressive 45.8% from 3-point range. Watkins excelled in this area especially, breaking the USC single-game 3-point record, going nine for 11.

“I worked this past summer to really key into shooting threes at a higher percentage than last year,” Watkins said.

After her first few triples, it was evident Watkins was in the zone, having one of her best scoring games ever.

“I say to people, you should get to Galen whenever you can because you never know when something ridiculous is going to happen from [Watkins],” said Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb after the superstar sophomore’s 40-point eruption Tuesday.

Improvement in USC’s shooting percentage outside the arc would help the Trojans in difficult matchups, as more offensive firepower is exactly what they need to get past top-ranked opponents.

USC also saw a big improvement with rebounding, further limiting CBU’s opportunity for second chances after missed shots. Both Marshall and Iriafen gathered 10 rebounds each.

The Big Ten is full of talent this year, and with matchups against teams such as No. 1 UCLA (8-0) and No. 7 Maryland (9-0) in the near future, an improvement in the Trojans’ rebounding would help them a great deal.

The Bruins currently rank second in the country in rebound margin with 48.4 rebounds per game, while Maryland trails just behind in fourth place with 44.8. USC resides in 20th place, with 43.6 rebounds per game. The Trojans’ ability to get Marshall or Iriafen in good position to box out while the team is on defense will be critical in upcoming Big Ten play, as other top teams will be suffocating under the hoop.

Looking forward to this weekend, USC will be traveling to Eugene to take on Oregon in its first Big Ten matchup of the season. Oregon had an optimistic start, kicking off the season by winning six straight home games. However, luckily for the Trojans, the Ducks seem to be in a bit of a slump.

Oregon attended the Hawai‘i North Shore Showcase in Laia last week where they went 0-2. The Ducks were upset by Georgia Tech (7-0) and South Dakota State (5-2), both teams not ranked in the top 25 nationally. Oregon has been fighting a great deal of setbacks and injuries this season, most recently with senior center Phillipina Kyei being limited to 10 minutes of playing time by a nagging injury in the game against South Dakota State. Her status for Saturday’s matchup is still unknown.

The lack of 6-foot-8-inch Kyei’s presence on the court was no doubt felt against South Dakota State, and if she isn’t healthy for Saturday’s matchup, the Ducks could find themselves in even more trouble. Most recently, Kyei was a critical piece in the Ducks’ win over Auburn, during which she had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

During the Hawai‘i Shore Showcase, Oregon struggled to score when they needed it the most and also dealt with turnovers in big moments — issues that could become even more apparent if Kyei isn’t able to compete to her best ability.

Arriving in Eugene coming off three straight wins gives the Trojans an advantage. However, Oregon is still undefeated at home, and USC will have to navigate playing in front of the Ducks’ home crowd at the Matthew Knight Arena. Although it’s likely that USC brings the win back to Los Angeles, this matchup will be a great opportunity for the Trojans to showcase the work they have been putting in.

With a top-10 matchup against No. 2 UConn (7-0) looming shortly after this weekend, a win against the Ducks would help propel USC into an ideal position for conference play and the rest of their season.   

The Trojans will take on the Ducks on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Eugene.