The University of Wisconsin Badgers (11-12, 2-10 Big Ten) couldn’t pull off a second consecutive upset at the Kohl Center, falling to JuJu Watkins and No. 7 USC (20-2, 10-1) 86-64 on Wednesday. While Watkins held most of the spotlight leading up to the contest, it was the Trojans’ supporting cast that downed Wisconsin.
Watkins’ 14 points were her fewest in a game this season, and the superstar guard shot merely 4-for-11 from the field and didn’t log an assist. Instead, four other USC players scored in double figures.
Although the Badgers were pleased with their defensive effort against Watkins, they acknowledged their need to grow further on that end.
“Obviously our focus was on limiting Juju,” graduate student guard Tess Myers said. “That next step for us… [is] taking out those other players and not letting them go off.”
That advancement could come in the form of more consistency — something Wisconsin has been chasing throughout conference play. The Kohl Center recorded its highest attendance total of the season for a WBB game, but the buzz inside the stadium was wiped out late in the second quarter.
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Wisconsin worked its way back from a 13-3 deficit in the first quarter to make it a one-possession game with just under five minutes left in the first half off the back of made jumpers from Myers, Natalie Leuzinger and Serah Williams.
That three-point USC lead ballooned back into double-digits by halftime, as the Trojans finished the second quarter on a 14-6 run. USC scored on each of its final seven possessions to land a 39-28 advantage at the break.
Wisconsin’s defensive struggles carried over into the second half, allowing 23 and 24 points in the final two quarters and being outscored by 11 total points. The Badgers couldn’t get the deficit to fewer than nine points.
It was the fifth time in seven games that the Badgers allowed at least 80 points. Yet, it didn’t feel like an inadequate performance against one of the country’s most potent offenses.
Wisconsin put its defense into a tough spot, committing 24 turnovers — many of which were live ball turnovers — which led to 23 points for the Trojans. USC’s length and consistent ball pressure troubled the Badgers from the opening tipoff.
In the first quarter alone, USC tallied four blocks and four steals. The Trojans finished the contest with 17 steals and seven blocks.
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While they may not have expected such volume, making the Badgers uncomfortable was a focal point for USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
“We have a post group that can really guard and really impact people.” Gottlieb said. “[that] allows our guards to put more pressure at the three-point line and and put more pressure on the ball.”
Serah Williams led the Badgers with 19 points, but she shot just 8-for-20 from the field and committed five turnovers. Williams started the game 1-for-8 on field goals.
Wisconsin struggled to find open perimeter looks, but they went 6-for-8 from distance. Tess Myers connected on all four of her three-point attempts as part of a 12-point outing, but the Trojans succeeded in running Leuzinger (nine points, 2-2 three-pointers) and Lily Krahn (four points, no three-point attempts) off the three-point line.
While the Badgers showed some fight in the second quarter, they were outscored in all four periods. The 22-point loss tied for Wisconsin’s third worst margin of defeat this season and marked the Badgers 10th loss in 11 games.
Now 11-12 overall and under .500 for the first time all season, Wisconsin will face off against Illinois (18-5, 8-4) at the Kohl Center on Sunday.