Some of those Trojans stars from the early 1980s – including Hall of Famers Cheryl Miller and Tina Thompson – joined a raucous crowd as USC rallied for the program’s first win over a top-ranked team since 1983 on Thursday night.
JuJu Watkins broke out of a scoring slump with 38 points, helping sixth-ranked Southern California topple No 1 UCLA 71-60 and further delivering on her goal of restoring the program to its earlier glory.
After her sister Mali sang the national anthem, Watkins scored eight points in five minutes to start the game when the Trojans put the Bruins in an early hole.
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb relished her superstar’s response to the recent tough times, saying, “JuJu’s just heroic shot-making and effort and intensity, especially coming with the million questions she gets when it’s not perfect out there.”.
So did the predominantly cardinal-clad crowd that was diverse in its age, gender and racial makeup, a testament to Watkins’ drawing power and the support she enjoys from the nearby Watts community where she grew up.
