Donning pink breast cancer awareness uniforms and playing in front of acclaimed alumni Will Ferrell and Cheryl Miller, No. 10 USC extended its win streak to four following an 81-64 routing of the Arizona Wildcats on Monday night at Galen Center. It wasn’t all gravy, though; the Trojans started off the game flat-footed, only tallying 12 points in the first quarter on a lackluster 3-15 shooting. 

However, thanks to a stellar performance from the USC (18-4, 8-4 Pac-12) starting backcourt duo of freshman guard JuJu Watkins and graduate guard Kayla Padilla, the Trojans came alive, ultimately taking the lead at halftime and never looking back.

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“In the first half, they were the more aggressive team,” said Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “So we had to figure that out at halftime and we did.”

USC initially struggled to contain the Wildcats (12-12, 4-8) down low, allowing 20 points in the paint in the first half, along with 9 second-chance points. Arizona freshman guard Skylar Jones led the way for the upset-hopeful Wildcats in the first half with 7 points. In a back-and-forth second quarter, both teams battled hard. At the break, only up 4, the Trojans knew it would take a strong second half to pull away with the game.

“Reminding myself just to play my game will take me very far,” Watkins said. “Any way I can contribute to the team and make sure we get the dub, that’s all that matters, regardless of what defense is throwing at me.”

Watkins led the game with 32 points, which was good for her ninth 30-point performance of the season. Despite starting the game off 1-6 from the field, she found her rhythm as the game progressed. She also excelled in the more underrated facet of her game: defense. Watkins blocked four shots and was vital in USC’s second-half defensive swarm of the Wildcats, holding Arizona to just 11 points in the third quarter.

“We came out kind of timid on the defensive end,” Watkins said. “That was our major fix to be able to win the game, just to be able to dominate on defense. That gave me a lot of energy on the defensive end.”

Padilla was the Trojans’ leading force from beyond the arc, sinking five 3-pointers on eight attempts. She helped USC overcome its first-quarter shooting slump by hitting her first 3-point shot less than a minute through the second quarter. Padilla’s accuracy from deep rubbed off on her teammates as, until nearly the end of the third quarter, the Trojans didn’t miss from downtown. With a 16-point lead heading into the final frame, USC’s offensive flurry put the nail in the Wildcats’ coffin.

Graduate guard McKenzie Forbes also contributed to the Trojans’ deep-shot bonanza, making three shots from long range. 

Padilla also dished seven assists without committing a single turnover, encapsulating her precise passing ability.

“The message was to continue to shoot, we have such great shooters on this team,” Padilla said. 

Junior center Rayah Marshall compiled an efficient double-double performance with 12 points and 10 rebounds. She was also vital on defense, pickpocketing the Wildcats twice and blocking two shots.

The Trojans are riding high and will head north to face the Oregon Ducks (11-14, 2-10) and No. 11 Oregon State Beavers (20-3, 9-3) before returning home. Both are currently on opposite sides of the winning spectrum. However, USC defeated the two in early January, so it will look to continue its winning ways and complete the sweeps.

“Road games are tough in this league, everybody’s hungry,” Gottlieb said. “We know Oregon State is as hot as anybody, not just in our league, but in this country.”

The Trojans will face Oregon at Knight Arena Friday at 7 p.m.