Watkins, USC reach Sweet 16
LOS ANGELES — Juju Watkins had 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and top-seeded Southern California led all the way in defeating Kansas 73-55 on Monday night to reach the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Mckenzie Forbes hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Trojans (28-5), who will face fifth-seeded Baylor (26-7) in Portland, Oregon on Saturday.
USC last went this deep when it reached the Elite Eight in 1994, 10 years after the school won the second of its back-to-back national championships.
Freshman S’mya Nichols scored 22 points to lead the Jayhawks (20-13). Taiyanna Jackson had 10 points and 18 rebounds. Kansas fell to 0-6 all-time when facing a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
After Kansas got within one in the third, the Trojans took over with a 17-2 run that spanned the end of the third and start of the fourth. Watkins had nine points and Kayla Padilla hit a 3-pointer in the spurt that extended USC’S lead to 64-48.
USC’S Clarice Akunwafo, who at 6-foot-6 equaled Jackson’s height, disrupted the Kansas center by blocking shots and even did a little scoring down the stretch.
■ No. 2 UCLA 67, No. 6 Creighton 63: At Los Angeles, Kiki Rice had 24 points for the Bruins (27-6), who outrebounded the Bluejays (26-6) 40-22. Creighton was led by Lauren Jensen, who finished with 20 points.
■ No. 2 Notre Dame 71, No. 7 Mississippi 56: At South Bend, Ind., Maddy Westbeld scored 20 points and Hannah Hidalgo added 19 for the Fighting Irish (28-6). The Rebels (24-9) shot 4-of-17 in the first quarter.
■ No. 3 Connecticut 72, No. 6 Syracuse: At Storrs, Conn., All-american Paige Bueckers tied her season high with 32 points for the Huskies (31-5), who earned a 30th straight trip to the Sweet 16. Sophie Burrows scored a season-high 18 points for the Orange (24-8).
■ No. 3 North Carolina
State 79, No. 6 Tennessee
72: At Raleigh, N.C., Aziaha James scored 22 points for the Wolfpack (29-6). Aziaha Jackson had 33 points and 10 rebounds in a dominating showing over the Lady Vols (20-13).
■ No. 4 Indiana 75, No. 5 Oklahoma 68: At Bloomington, Ind., Mackenzie Holmes scored 29 points, including six in a row, for the Hoosiers (26-5), who advanced to their second Sweet 16 in three years. Big 12 Player of the Year Skylar Vann led the Sooners (23-10) with 20 points and eight rebounds.
■ No. 4 Gonzaga 77, No. 5 Utah 66: At Spokane, Wash., Kayleigh Truong scored 21 points, and Yvonne Ejim added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulldogs (32-3), who won their 36th in a row at home. Alissa
Pili led the Utes (23-11) with 35 points, her fifth 30-point game of the season, in her final game for the school.