(2) USC vs (7) Arizona | 2024 Pac-12 Tournament: Quarterfinals | 3.7.24

LAS VEGAS, NEV. - March 7th, 2024
The No. 5 USC women's basketball team punched a hard-fought ticket to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2014 with a gutsy 65-62 win over Arizona in tonight's quarterfinal round at MGM Grand Garden Arena. When an early lead dissipated for the Trojans, they'd regroup and rally in the second half to pull out the victory and improve to 24-5 overall. Arizona is now 17-13.
USC came out hot while the Wildcats ran cold in the first 10 minutes as USC opened up with the first 13 points of the night. Arizona countered and carved into that, eventually tying things in second quarter, but the Trojans moved back ahead to hold a 30-25 halftime advantage. USC had shot 52.4 percent in those first 20 minutes to outpace Arizona's 29.4 percent from the floor, while USC also benefitted from four 3-pointers landed in the half. USC also was up on the boards 22-13 thanks in large part to Rayah Marshall's 10 first-half rebounds. USC's flow in the first-half was stymied by 16 turnovers, but the Trojans cleaned that up in the next stretch, finishing with 21 turnovers and holding ground on the boards 35-32 by the final buzzer. USC wrapped things up shooting 46 percent overall, ahead of Arizona's 38.7 percent, getting an extra lift from six 3-pointers landed to three by the Wildcats.
After trailing by four, USC mounted a 14-2 run that spanned the third and four quarters to get back to a double-digit lead, and although Arizona closed the gap to three twice in the final 1:30, USC got big buckets from JuJu Watkins and Kaitlyn Davis down the stretch to help secure USC's final 65-62 win. Watkins would lead the Trojans in scoring with 17 points while hauling eight rebounds, and Rayah Marshall recorded her third straight double-double on 15 points and 15 rebounds. Arizona received a game-high 19 points from Helena Pueyo along with 14 points apiece from Breya Cunningham and Skylar Jones.
USC unleashed a 13-0 run out of the gates, sparked by a bucket in the paint from Rayah Marshall, fanned by a 3-pointer from Kayla Padilla and then heating up further with six straight points from JuJu Watkins before Marshall connected again down low to make it 13-0 USC at 4:35. Arizona scored its first points 20 seconds later and would get the score to 15-7 at 2:45, only to see Taylor Bigby nail a 3-pointer before Watkins struck again, and USC would grip a 20-9 lead at the end of the first. The Wildcats carved down the deficit with an 8-0 run that spanned the first and second frames, then followed a single Marshall free throw with back-to-back buckets, and all of a sudden it was a two point game - 21-19 USC at 5:48. The score would snarl up a 25-25 with 2:55 to go in the half, but Bigby had another key 3-pointer at the ready to break that knot, and then McKenzie Forbes scored her first points of the night to make it a 30-25 USC lead for halftime.
Marshall was shouldering the scoring load for the Trojans in the first six minutes of the third, working her way to a double-double with six straight points for USC. But Arizona was reeling the Trojans in, forcing three ties before edging ahead and leading it 40-36 at 3:27. USC would fire off a 6-0 surge from Marshall and Davis to get back in the lead, and some hustle rom Kayla Williams helped USC to a 48-42 advantage before Arizona landed a late one, and it was a 48-44 margin entering the fourth. The Trojans went on a tear to roll out the fourth, with McKenzie Forbes landing a long-awaited 3-pointer to light the fuse on an 8-0 USC rally to net a double-digit lead, up 56-44 at 7:11. The Wildcats bit back with a 6-0 surge to make it 56-50 with 5:20 remaining. Forbes landed another three at 2:47 for a 60-52 advantage, by Arizona hit back with a bucket and then a three of its own to make it a three-point game entering the final minute. Watkins took it to the hoop with 22 ticks to go to make it 62-57 USC, and the Trojans would hold strong, getting a late and key bucket from Davis to seal the deal as USC finished off the 65-62 win.
NEXT:
No. 2 seed USC is on to the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament for the first time since making a championship run at the event in 2014. USC will face either No. 3 seed UCLA or No. 6 seed Utah at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (March 8) to fight for a spot in the title match on Sunday (March 10).
NOTABLE:
- With 15 points and 15 rebounds, JR Rayah Marshall recorded her 11th double-double this season and the 31st of her career - eighth all-time by a Trojan.
- Marshall has now recorded three straight double-doubles.
- With 17 points tonight, FR JuJu Watkins has now led USC in scoring in 26 of USC's 29 games.
- USC has now won 11 single-digit games this season to lead all Pac-12 teams.
- USC is now 21-1 overall when scoring 65 or more points and 18-1 when outrebounding its opponent.

[@90sHilly]

Jada has to stop being so passive she’s at her best when she plays aggressive.

[@anthonytaylor7928]

True that

[@lizcaspalding6195]

💯💯💯

[@AB-KB8]

She not in AAU anymore. College different. Them girls ain't no joke

[@90sHilly]

@@AB-KB8 This we all know but she’s clearly playing a shell of herself in adias system.

[@cuttakloud6754]

Refs called a bad game.. seems like they were letting AZ do whatever to Juju