University Southern California Trojans
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/ Women's Basketball
No. 10 USC’s JuJu Watkins Named Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week
November 13, 2023 | Women's Basketball
She scored the most points by a USC freshman in a debut with 32 to help USC open season with an upset of No. 7 Ohio State.
One week into her USC women's basketball career, JuJu Watkins has landed herself on the first Pac-12 weekly honor roll of the season with her selection as Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. In her USC debut, Watkins pinned up 32 points on No. 7 Ohio State, setting a program record for points scored by a freshman in a debut and marking the third most points scored in any game by a USC freshman. She is the seventh Trojan to be named a Pac-12 Freshman of the Week and picks up USC's 12th such honor overall.
Watkins' 32-point effort to start her freshman season helped USC to its first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1990, when a No. 25 USC team upset No. 7 Texas 88-77 (11/25/90). That effort beat out Lisa Leslie's 30-point effort in her first game as a USC freshman — recorded in that aforementioned 1990 season opener — to set a new USC record for points scored in a freshman debut. Only two other USC freshmen have scored more than 32 points in any game — Cheryl Miller (39 points vs. Northwestern, 11/30/82) and Lisa Leslie (33 points at Cal, 1/17/91).
In USC's home opener days later, Watkins tallied a team-high 18 points in a 67-51 win over Florida Gulf Coast at Galen Center. That effort pushed her to 50 total points in her first two games as a Trojan — also achieved by Trojan great Cheryl Miller as a freshman in 1982.
USC's 2-0 start to the season has the Trojans ranked No. 10 in the national AP poll this week, marking an 11-spot improvement to stand with USC's highest AP ranking since finishing at No. 7 in 1994.
Watkins and the No. 10 Trojans continue their season's work with a home game tonight (Nov. 13) against Le Moyne at 5:30 p.m. at Galen Center.
Watkins' 32-point effort to start her freshman season helped USC to its first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1990, when a No. 25 USC team upset No. 7 Texas 88-77 (11/25/90). That effort beat out Lisa Leslie's 30-point effort in her first game as a USC freshman — recorded in that aforementioned 1990 season opener — to set a new USC record for points scored in a freshman debut. Only two other USC freshmen have scored more than 32 points in any game — Cheryl Miller (39 points vs. Northwestern, 11/30/82) and Lisa Leslie (33 points at Cal, 1/17/91).
In USC's home opener days later, Watkins tallied a team-high 18 points in a 67-51 win over Florida Gulf Coast at Galen Center. That effort pushed her to 50 total points in her first two games as a Trojan — also achieved by Trojan great Cheryl Miller as a freshman in 1982.
USC's 2-0 start to the season has the Trojans ranked No. 10 in the national AP poll this week, marking an 11-spot improvement to stand with USC's highest AP ranking since finishing at No. 7 in 1994.
Watkins and the No. 10 Trojans continue their season's work with a home game tonight (Nov. 13) against Le Moyne at 5:30 p.m. at Galen Center.
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