LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins scored 35 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and No. 10 Southern California routed Le Moyne 93-42 on Monday night.
Watkins has totaled 83 points in her first three college games, including 32 in the Trojans’ season-opening victory over then-No. 7 Ohio State last week. She was named Pac-12 freshman of the week for her performances.
Watkins scored 13 of the Trojans' first 15 points in the fourth and then sat down for good. They led 91-32, allowing Lindsay Gottlieb to go to her bench. Aaliyah Gayles got into her second straight game, her first collegiate action since recovering after being shot 18 times at a house party in Las Vegas in 2022.
Rayah Marshall added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Trojans. As the tallest player on the floor at 6-foot-4, Marshall dominated in the paint against the shorter Dolphins, who have no one over 6-1 on their roster.
USC (3-0) raced to an 11-0 lead and ran off 12 straight points over the end of the first and start of the second quarter to go up 28-8. Watkins scored eight in a row, completing a four-point play, and the Trojans went into halftime leading 46-20.
Lytoya Baker scored 14 points to lead the Dolphins (0-4), whose roster includes seven freshmen and sophomores.
Le Moyne proved hopelessly overmatched as the game went on.
USC outscored the Dolphins 30-8 in the third, including a 21-0 run that featured six different players scoring. The Trojans led 76-28 going into the fourth, when Watkins took over.
BIG PICTURE
Le Moyne: The Dolphins are playing 11 of their first 12 games on the road with some tough travel and multiple time zone changes. They were in Colorado for their first two games, went home to New York and then flew to California, all in the span of eight days. But after leaving Los Angeles, they'll play the rest of the season in the East.
USC: Thanks to a season-opening upset of then-No. 7 Ohio State, the Trojans jumped 11 spots to No. 10 in Monday's AP Top 25 poll, their highest ranking since finishing the season seventh in 1993-94. Watkins immediately made a mark, scoring 50 points in her first two games combined, equaling a record set by Cheryl Miller as a freshman in 1982-83.
UP NEXT
Le Moyne: Visits Massachusetts on Saturday.
USC: Plays Seton Hall on Nov. 20 in the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship in the Bahamas.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
