Why USC's JuJu Watkins scored season-low vs. Wisconsin
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No. 7 USC women's basketball relied on its depth to power past Wisconsin in an 86-64 victory Wednesday night, with JuJu Watkins recording a season-low 14 points in just 26 minutes.
The Trojans' bench outscored the Badgers' reserves 33-8, allowing head coach Lindsay Gottlieb to distribute minutes more evenly after Watkins had carried much of the offensive load this season.
"I thought we got great contributions from everyone," Gottlieb said, as reported by Thomas Johnson of USCAnnenbergMedia. "(We're) trying to win each game in the best way that we can, but also prepare ourselves for what's coming."
Watkins, who entered the game averaging 24.7 points per contest, had her lowest scoring output of the season and the second-lowest of her career. She made USC's first basket but did not score again until late in the second quarter. A personal 5-0 run helped the Trojans take a 39-28 lead into halftime, and USC remained in control the rest of the way.
Kiki Iriafen led USC with 15 points, while Avery Howell matched Watkins' 14. Talia von Oelhoffen added 11 points, and Kayleigh Heckel contributed 10 in a balanced scoring effort for the Trojans, who rebounded from their first loss in over two months—a 76-69 defeat at Iowa on Sunday that snapped their 15-game winning streak.
Serah Williams paced Wisconsin with 19 points, while Carter McCray and Tess Myers each added 12, as reported by Steve Megargee of the Associated Press. Williams, the Big Ten's third-leading scorer, missed her first seven shots but recovered to go 8-for-13 the rest of the way.
The Trojans' depth has been a focal point this season after Watkins shouldered much of the scoring responsibility last year. In 2023-24, she was the only USC player to average more than 15 points per game.
USC shot 50.7% from the field, a strong improvement after recording a season-low 35.4% shooting percentage in the loss to Iowa. Wisconsin, which has now lost 10 of its last 11 games, trailed by only three late in the second quarter but never got closer.
The Trojans will return home to face No. 8 Ohio State on Saturday, while Wisconsin will host Illinois on Sunday.
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