In a thrilling matchup that saw momentum swing back and forth, the No. 18 Utah women’s basketball team halted the No. 7 USC Trojans’ seven-game win streak with a hard-fought 74-68 victory on Saturday. Utah’s sharp shooting, particularly from beyond the arc, proved decisive as they outperformed USC in the first half, boasting a 44% shooting accuracy and sinking six 3-pointers compared to USC’s lone triple. Despite USC’s efforts to claw back into contention, Utah maintained their lead throughout, finishing with an impressive 48.9% three-point shooting percentage.

Although USC held the advantage in rebounding, securing 36 boards compared to Utah’s 30, their lower overall shooting percentage of 40.3% and a season-low four 3-pointers ultimately cost them the game. The defeat drops USC’s overall record to 21-5, with an 11-5 mark in Pac-12 play, while Utah improves to 20-8 overall and 10-6 in conference action. JuJu Watkins continued to shine for USC, leading her team in scoring for the 24th time this season with an impressive stat line of 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

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Kaitlyn Davis also made significant contributions, scoring 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds, while McKenzie Forbes added 10 points, including two 3-pointers. Utah, meanwhile, showcased a balanced scoring attack led by Alissa Pili with 23 points and nine rebounds, Kennedy McQueen with 14 points, Dasia Young with 13 points, and Maty Wike with 11 points. The game saw USC struggle early on as Utah raced to a 7-0 lead in the opening stretch. Despite USC’s improved performance in the subsequent periods, Utah’s proficiency from long range kept them ahead.

While USC managed to tie the game twice in the third quarter, Utah never relinquished their lead, ultimately securing the six-point victory. Watkins’ stellar performance not only led USC in scoring but also saw her break the program’s freshman single-season scoring record, averaging 28.1 points and 7 rebounds in Saturday’s contest. With two regular-season games remaining, USC, trailing only Stanford in the Pac-12 standings, looks to Watkins and their squad to continue their impressive run in both the conference and NCAA tournaments.

In a challenging match-up on Sunday, the Oregon Ducks Women’s Basketball team faced a setback against the Washington State Cougars, succumbing to a 61-71 defeat. Despite a standout performance by Phillipina Kyei, who recorded a career-high 23 points, the Ducks were unable to overcome the persistent advantage maintained by the Cougars throughout the game. The Ducks encountered a rocky start in the first quarter, failing to find their rhythm as they missed their first six shots and struggled from the floor, managing only a 2-12 field goal record.

Photo Cred: Oregon Live

Kyei spearheaded the offensive efforts for Oregon, accounting for all eight points scored by the team in the quarter with a 2-4 field goal performance and a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. While Washington State also faced challenges in scoring, managing only 10 points in the first quarter, they surged ahead in the second quarter, mounting an 11-0 run that tested the Ducks’ resilience. Oregon managed to claw back, narrowing the gap to five points by halftime.

The Cougars seized control in the third quarter with a commanding 14-3 run, punctuated by seven consecutive successful shots, extending their lead significantly. A buzzer-beating three-pointer from Eleonora Villa capped off the quarter with a score of 51-35 in favor of Washington State. Despite a late resurgence by Oregon, highlighted by a 10-2 run that brought them within single digits with four minutes remaining, the Ducks faltered in the final stretch, allowing the Cougars to secure a 10-point victory.

Photo Cred: Oregon Live

Phillipina Kyei led the charge for Oregon with an impressive double-double, tallying 23 points and 15 rebounds, further solidifying her position as a standout player in the conference with 19 double-doubles for the season. Grace VanSlooten contributed 16 points, while Kennedy Basham added 14, earning praise from Oregon coach Kelly Graves for their resilience and performance. On the opposing side, Astera Tuhina led the scoring for the Cougars with 24 points, followed closely by Eleonora Villa with 20 points.

Washington State showcased their prowess from behind the arc, shooting an impressive 6-10, while Oregon struggled, managing only a 1-6 record from three-point range. Looking ahead, the Oregon Ducks Women’s team will return home to Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday to face the Cal Golden Bears. Meanwhile, the Washington State Cougars will hit the road to Utah to take on the #18 Utes, aiming to build on their momentum from the victory against Oregon.

Junior point guard KJ Simpson of the Colorado Buffaloes is SRA’s Pac-12 Player of the Week following his standout performance against the rival Utah Utes, which kept the Buffaloes’ NCAA tournament hopes alive. In a crucial showdown at the CU Events Center last Saturday, Simpson led the Buffaloes to a commanding 89-65 victory in Boulder, Colorado. The win propelled the Buffaloes (18-9, 9-7 Pac-12) into a tie for 4th place in the Pac-12 alongside UCLA (14-13, 9-7 Pac-12).

Simpson’s stellar performance saw him tally 28 points on 10-15 shooting, including an impressive 5-8 from three-point range. Additionally, he contributed 4 rebounds and 3 assists while committing just 1 turnover. This marks the second consecutive exceptional display by Simpson, who recently notched 30 points in a double-overtime thriller against the USC Trojans.

Photo Cred: CU

Throughout the season, Simpson has maintained an impressive stat line, averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Notably, his shooting has significantly improved, boasting a 49.6% overall field goal percentage, a 45.8% success rate from beyond the arc, and an 88.4% accuracy from the free-throw line. This marks a notable improvement from last year’s shooting percentages of 39.6%, 27.6%, and 81.7%, respectively.

Simpson’s consistent scoring prowess has seen him eclipse the 20-point mark on 16 occasions this season, placing him squarely in contention for prestigious accolades such as the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award for College Basketball Player of the Year. Looking ahead, the Buffaloes will continue their final home stand of the regular season as they prepare to face California on the Pac-12 Network next Wednesday at 6 P.M. MT.