JuJu Watkins beams with pride as USC legend celebrates modern-day superstar surpassing her Trojans record last year

JuJu Watkins made USC history when she scored 51 points against Stanford in the 2023-24 season, becoming the second player to do so. On Sunday, she met with a USC legend who achieved the feat first.

After the game against Penn State, she met up with Cherie Nelson, who played for the Trojans from 1985 to 1989. She scored 50 points in 1989, holding the program record for 36 years until Watkins surpassed her.

The USC women's basketball page documented the two together, having the 50-point scorers hold up pieces of paper that show the number of points they scored in those games.

"Cherie Nelson and JuJu Watkins: The only Trojans to score 50+ points in a game," the post caption read.

How JuJu Watkins, USC played against Penn State

JuJu Watkins and the No. 4 Trojans had control throughout the entirety of the game against Penn State, beating the Nittany Lions 95-73 on Sunday night.

Watkins was dominant against the opposing defense, having a game-high 35 points and 11 rebounds on 13-of-15 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Kiki Iriafen provided solid assistance, scoring 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting overall.

USC played well on both sides of the ball. The Trojans created 22 assists and limited their turnovers to 11 while holding Penn State to a shooting accuracy of 38% from the field and forcing the Nittany Lions to commit 20 turnovers.

Improving to 16-1 on the season, the Trojans have been difficult for opponents to keep up with. They produce 84.7 points on 46.5% shooting overall and 31.9% from downtown, blowing out teams by 30.2 points per game.

Watkins has been at the heart of the team's success this season. She puts up 25.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. Iriafen comes next with 18.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, while Rayah Marshall provides 7.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest.

Staying undefeated in conference play with a 6-0 record so far, JuJu Watkins and the No. 4 Trojans will prepare for their next matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers at the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday at noon ET.