JuJu Watkins Stats Tonight: How did USC star fare vs. Michigan State (Feb. 19)

JuJu Watkins had another awesome performance, leading No. 4 USC to an 83-75 win over No. 22 Michigan State in a Big Ten Conference showdown on Wednesday night at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

The 6-foot-2 guard tallied 28 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks for the Trojans (24-2, 12-1). The Sierra Canyon standout shot 10-of-23, including 2-of-7 from 3-pointers, and made six of nine tries from the free-throw line.

Watkins set the tone early, producing 12 points, two rebounds and one block in the first quarter to help the Trojans build a 24-16 lead.

The sophomore sensation picked up five points, two rebounds, one steal and one block in the second quarter as the Lindsay Gottlieb-coached team hiked their advantage to 41-31 at the half.

JuJu Watkins put up five points, one rebound, two assists and two steals in the third period to help USC establish a 68-49 lead.

The guard made three layups in the fourth period to hold off Michigan State's last-ditch rally to preserve the win for the Trojans. She grabbed three rebounds and had one block to cap off an excellent 39-minute job on the court.

Here are JuJu Watkins' final stats in USC's win over Michigan State:

Player	MP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG	3-PT	FT	TO	PF
JuJu Watkins	39	28	8	3	3	3	10-23	2-7	6-9	5	0

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Trojans vs Spartans Game Recap: JuJu Watkins' USC holds off Michigan State to extend Big Ten lead

USC extended its lead in the Big Ten Conference standings by beating Michigan State. The Trojans built a 19-point advantage in the first three quarters before holding off the Spartans' fiery rally in the payoff period to preserve the win.

The victory widened USC's lead over UCLA (24-1, 12-1) to one game in the conference standings.

JuJu Watkins had valuable support from Kiki Iriafen, who finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal and three blocks. Iriafen shot 7-of-13 and made 10 of 12 attempts from the free-throw line.

Freshman Kennedy Smith contributed 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block for USC, who emerged victorious despite committing 23 turnovers.

The Trojans ruled the rebounding department 45-37 and had an 11-5 edge in blocks. Meanwhile, Michigan State (19-7, 9-6) made it difficult for USC in the passing lanes, resulting in a 14-11 advantage in steals.

Grace VanSlooten topped the Spartans' offense with 29 points on 9-of-18 shooting and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. She also had six rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Julia Ayrault came up with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan State while Theryn Hallock added 12.

USC returns to action on Sunday afternoon, hosting No. 25 Illinois (21-5, 11-4) on its Senior Day at the Galen Center. The Fighting Illini overcame Nebraska 77-68 in its previous outing to extend its winning streak to eight games.

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What can you say about JuJu Watkins' performance in USC's win over Michigan State? Let us know your insights in the comments section: