Introduction to the Game
SPOKANE, Wash. — Those gutty little Trojans. A few fabulous freshmen – a few fearless, formidable freshmen – picked up the USC women’s basketball team Saturday in its moment of need, leading the top-seeded Trojans to a 67-61 victory over fifth-seeded Kansas State before 10,610 fans at Spokane Arena.
The Freshmen’s Impact
A trio of first-years – Kennedy Smith, Avery Howell, and Kayleigh Heckel – kept on fighting, picking up the Trojans for JuJu Watkins, giving the injured superstar a reason to smile at home. They picked up the pieces for seniors struggling to get it going against a well-prepared Kansas State (28-8) team. And they made certain USC picked up a second consecutive Elite Eight berth – a second consecutive Elite Eight berth against No. 2 UConn, though the kids wouldn’t personally know about that.
Historical Context
While we’re offering history lessons, how’s this: The last time a USC women’s basketball team made consecutive trips to the Elite Eight, a sophomore named Cheryl Miller was leading them and it was 1984. Three decades later, the Trojans are back in the mix, just as Coach Lindsay Gottlieb promised they’d be: a top seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second season.
The Team’s Spirit
They’re still jockeying for a spot in the Final Four, even without Watkins, who suffered a torn ACL in the second round and had to watch her team go forth without her on TV. But she was there with the Trojans, Gottlieb said, in spirit – and in the form of a miniature Funko Pop figure on the bench. That USC is still in it – however uphill the next leg is against Bueckers, who dropped a career-high 40 points in UConn’s 67-59 Sweet 16 victory over Oklahoma – is a credit to the Trojans’ freshman cohort.
Player Performances
Smith proved it by scoring a team-high 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Her menacing defense resulted in four steals. The 6-foot-1 guard also finished a team-best plus in the box score, which told us the Trojans outscored the Wildcats by 19 points – in a six-point game! – during the 36 minutes she was on the floor. Howell knocked down 6 of her 11 shots, including four of her eight 3-point attempts, to finish with 18 points. And in 24 minutes, including eight important minutes with the game in the balance late, Heckel was an interrupting force, in attack mode 100% of the time and chipping in with eight key points.
The Moment
The moment, none too big for these young women, was a big-league gut test. The Trojans (31-3) never led by more than seven and they trailed – by as many as five – or were tied for significant stretches. Kansas State’s 6-foot-6 Ayoka Lee caused problems for the Trojans around the rim, making their star graduate transfer Kiki Iriafen uncomfortable and forcing her to take mostly midrange shots as she followed her season-high 36-point effort in the second round against Mississippi State with a season-low-tying seven points Saturday.
Conclusion
And yet, USC is back where it left off last season, with another chance to reach the Final Four. Improbable a couple seasons ago, and much less probable now than it was a week ago. Gottlieb told a story about when centers Rayah Marshall and Clarice Akunwafo were freshmen in Gottlieb’s first season at the helm, how USC beat No. 2 Arizona, and she told them: “‘Hey, like, enjoy this. At some point we are going to be that team that other people are trying to beat.’”
FAQs
- Q: Who led the USC women’s basketball team to victory over Kansas State?
A: A trio of first-years – Kennedy Smith, Avery Howell, and Kayleigh Heckel. - Q: What is the next challenge for the USC women’s basketball team?
A: The team will face No. 2 UConn in the next round. - Q: Who suffered a torn ACL in the second round?
A: JuJu Watkins. - Q: What is the significance of USC’s current season?
A: The team has made consecutive trips to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1984. - Q: Who is the coach of the USC women’s basketball team?
A: Lindsay Gottlieb.
