SPOKANE, Ore. (AP) — Kennedy Smith stepped into the void left by injured star JuJu Watkins, scoring 19 points to help Southern California hold off Kansas State 67-61 in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
The top-seeded Trojans (31-3) were considered title contenders before Watkins tore her right ACL during a second-round victory over Mississippi State. Now they’ll be underdogs in an Elite Eight rematch on Monday with Paige Bueckers and second-seeded UConn. The Huskies knocked the Trojans out of last year’s March Madness in Watkins’ first season.
Avery Howell, another freshman, scored 18 points for USC, which went on a 12-0 run during the third quarter to take a 46-39 lead, matching its biggest advantage of the day.
Kansas State (28-8) kept pushing, though, and tied it at 51-all early in the fourth on a layup by Ayoka Lee. Rayah Marshall responded with two straight buckets for USC.
A layup by Serena Sundell got the Wildcats within 60-59. Smith responded with a pair of free throws, and USC was solid enough at the foul line to close it out.
Sundell scored 22 points and Lee had 12 for the fifth-seeded Wildcats (28-8), who fell short of the program’s second Elite Eight appearance and first since 1982. They beat Kentucky 80-79 in overtime to reach their first Sweet 16 since 2002.
Smith had 11 points in the opening quarter as the Trojans built 19-9 lead.
The Wildcats pulled ahead 19-16 after Sundell’s layup and free throw. USC answered with a pair of 3-pointers from Howell and Malia Samuels.
Sundell hit a jumper and two free throws down the stretch to help Kansas State to a 30-28 advantage at the half.
Honoring JuJu
USC arrived at Spokane Arena wearing Nike T-shirts emblazoned with Watkins’ face.
Players passed around a small Watkins bobblehead, complete with her trademark “JuJu Bun” hairstyle, on the sidelines during the game.
A day earlier, coach Lindsay Gottlieb said her team was playing for its inured star: “I think the prevailing feeling is that we can still do something together, and that’s what JuJu wants us to do.”
Watkins was hoping to lead USC to its first national title since it won back to back in 2002 and ’03.
