Trojans Topple Bears, 74-70

TL;DR: Bears can’t make it happen, and USC wins the game from the free-throw line. 

The Bears fell at the hands off Juju Watkins and the USC Trojans. Watkins led the way with 30 points, 12 of those coming from the charity stripe. 

Baylor was led by Sarah Andrews with 17 points, 15 of those coming from deep. Jada Walker and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs also scored in the double figures.

Walker ended the season by joining the 1,000 career-point club. 

The Bears were truly outdone at the free-throw line. The Trojans were able to draw more fouls and that’s truly the difference maker in a matchup that is this tight. The stats speak for themselves here. Two great teams hit the court and one made it to the foul line more than the other. 

Final Stats

Baylor 

FG: 27-70 (38.6%)

3FG: 9-26 (34.6%)

FT: 7-12 (58.3%)

REB: 44

A: 17

PF: 20

TO: 10

USC

FG: 26-66 (39.4%)

3FG: 5-17 (29.4%)

FT: 17-21 (81%)

REB: 41

A: 11

PF: 11

TO: 9

First Quarter

TL;DR: We’re in for a dogfight tonight. We’ve held Watkins to only eight points thus far, but we need to improve the containment. If we want to win this game, give her an inch, and she’ll take a mile. 

PxP(ish): Bears win the tip, and Jada Walker seems to have kept her momentum, sinking an easy two-point jumper to get us underway. Juju Watkins, the standout freshman, takes it down the court and throws up a driving layup for USC. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs kicks the ball out to Sarah Andrews on the bottom of the court, and it is good for three, catching nothing but the net on the way down. Andrews stays hot and swipes the ball from a bad pass by Kayla Padilla, passes it to Walker, and the Bears have an early 7-2 lead. Rayah Marshall finds the net for USC with a jumper for two; Bella Fontleroy fouls and sends Watkins to the line, where she goes 1-1. Watkins gets the ball for a fast break and drops it in to give USC the 8-7 lead. BU responds with a jumper from Littlepage-Buggs and regains the one-point advantage. An offensive foul by Aijha Blackwell will be a BU turnover, and that’ll send us to the under-five media timeout. Littlepage-Buggs is the shooter coming out of the timeout with a mid-range jumper to bring us up to a three-point lead over the Trojans. Padilla tried to rush a three-pointer and missed it thanks to the Bear’s pressure on her, but she turned around and made a second-chance three on the following possession, tie-game 11-11. Rayah Marshall fouls and sends Dre’Una Edwards to the line. She goes 1-2, and the Bears are up by one. Watkins buries a stepback jumper for two, but the Bears respond with a layup from Edwards. McKenzie Forbes claps back with a three, and Walker responds with another layup. With the stepback jumper, Forbes gave USC the two-point advantage with 28 seconds left in the first. After the first 10:00 the Trojans lead by two, 18-16.

First Quarter Stats

Baylor 

FG: 7-19 (36.8%)

3FG: 1-7 (14.3%)

FT: 1-2 (50%)

REB: 12

A: 4

PF: 3

TO: 1

USC

FG: 8-18 (44.4%)

3FG: 2-5 (40%)

FT: 0-0 

REB: 10

A: 3

PF: 2

TO: 2

Second Quarter

TL;DR: The Bears manage to contain Watkins a bit, but she is still the leading scorer in the game and in the quarter for the Trojans. Poor shooting and an inability to find the open shot is proving costly for the Bears, who only shot 26.7% in the second quarter. We need to stop fouling and start making an extra pass in the second half so we can get out ahead. 

PxP(ish): USC’s Clarice Akunwafo drops in a layup to start the second quarter. Forbes fouls and sends Yaya Felder to the line, where she goes 2-2. Watkins finds a gap and knocks down a jumper to keep USC ahead by four. Kaitlyn Davis fouls and sends Felder back to the line. She goes 1-2, and the Bears are down by three. Fontleroy picks up her second foul and heads to the bench after two missed shots and a rebound through 11 minutes of play; Forbes goes 2-2 from the line by way of Fontleroy’s foul. Edwards drains a three to cut the USC lead down to two, 24-22, with 7:06 to play in the half. Forbes stretches the lead back out to four with a second-chance jumper. Edwards fouls and sends Watkins to the line; she goes 2-2. Marshall puts up a layup, and this is the largest USC lead of the game thus far. Coming out of the timeout, Marshall strikes twice in a row to put USC up by 10. Andrews breaks USC’s momentum with a layup, and the Trojans call a timeout. Walker fouls and sends Watkins to the charity stripe; she goes 2-2, and the Trojans are up by 10 again. Walker sends Watkins to the line again; this time, she only makes 1-2. Blackwell drops in a layup to keep the Bears alive. Watkins fouls and sends Jana Van Gytenbeek to the line. She goes 2-2, and the USC lead is cut down to seven, 35-28. Blackwell has a big three, and we have some excitement in the final minute of the half with a four-point ballgame. Padilla drops ina. jumper, and the Bears head to the locker room trailing by six, 37-31. 

Second Quarter Stats

Baylor 

FG: 4-15 (26.7%)

3FG: 2-5 (40%)

FT: 5-8 (62.5% )

REB: 11

A: 3

PF: 7

TO: 4

USC

FG: 6-17 (35.3%)

3FG: 0-2 (0%)

FT: 7-8 (87.5%)

REB: 13

A: 3

PF: 5

TO: 3

Third Quarter

TL;DR: Bears shoot 80% from. three and outscore Trojans by 10 to take the lead.

PxP(ish): Littlepage-Buggs starts the third off hot with eight points on the board, USC combats each of them with solid shots of their own. Watkins puts up six, and Davis puts up four to keep the Trojans ahead. But Andrews and Blackwell are complimenting Littlepage-Buggs in the paint to keep BU in the game. This is the Baylor team that started the season 14-0; if we keep this momentum, I like the Bears’ chances in this tournament. USC still leads by five, but Baylor owns the energy right now. Fontleroy rains down a three out of the timeout and the Trojans only lead by two. Andrews drops in a three off of the fast break and the Bears are in the lead with USC calling a timeout! Marshall is able to drain a layup out of the timeout to regain the USC lead and the Forbes solidifies the lead with a jumper. It’s still a one-possession game, but the momentum may be shifting. Edwards erases the lead and the momentum with a three from the top of the key; we’re knotted up at 53. Walker drops in a jumper and a layup, and we will have the lead going into the fourth. Bears lead 57-53. 

Third Quarter Stats

Baylor 

FG: 11-17 (64.7%)

3FG: 4-5 (80%)

FT: 0-0 (0%)

REB: 12

A: 8

PF: 2

TO: 2

USC

FG: 7-20 (35%)

3FG: 2-6 (33.3%)

FT: 0-1 (0%)

REB: 7

A: 4

PF: 1

TO: 1

Fourth Quarter

TL;DR: Bears are outscored 21-13 in the fourth with USC picking up 10 from the line.

PxP(ish): Padilla starts off the fourth quarter with an and-one, and the Bears now lead by just one point. Forbes drains a three in transition to give USC the two-point advantage. After 3:25 without a score, Walker is sent to the line where she goes 1-2. Blackwell drains a second-chance layup, and the Bears are back in front with a one-point advantage. Walker hits a jumper, and the Bears are up by three. Davis sinks one in the paint, but Walker has another basket to keep the Bears up by three. Denae Fritz fouls and sends Davis to the line, she goes 1-2. Akunwafo knots the game at 64 with a layup; Watkins retakes the lead with a jumper and an and-one after Andrews fouls her. USC leads by three with 3:13 to play. Littlepage-Buggs fouls and sends Watkins to the line. She goes 2-2, and USC leads by five with 1:47 to play. Andrews knocks down a three to bring the lead back down to two. Andrews steals the, and Forbes fouls her immediately. Fontleroy fouls with 26 seconds remaining and sends Watkins to the line, who goes 2-2 and makes it a four-point lead; timeout, Baylor. Andrews drains a three straight out of the timeout, Bears need two to win, 22 seconds remain, USC ball. Andrews fouls and sends Watkins to the line, she goes 2-2 and its a three-point ball game, Bears’ ball. Andrew’s tries to drop one in from the logo but it is no good. Van Gytenbeek fouls Marshall to stop the clock, she goes 1-2 and we have a two-possession ball game. Edwards takes the last shot for three but it is no good and this will be the end of Baylor’s season. 

Fourth Quarter Stats

Baylor 

FG: 5-19 (26.3%)

3FG: 2-9 (22.2%)

FT: 1-2 (50%)

REB: 9

A: 2

PF: 8

TO: 3

USC

FG: 5-11 (45.5%)

3FG: 1-4 (25%)

FT: 10-12 (83.3%)

REB: 11

A: 1

PF: 3

TO: 3