"She's probably kicking herself in the foot": JuJu Watkins empathizes with "phenomenal" Sarah Strong after rookie misses clutch FTs

JuJu Watkins and the No. 7 USC Trojans secured a 72-70 win over No. 4 UConn in a thrilling matchup Saturday at XL Center in Hartford. It was a close game but missed late chances from UConn's Sarah Strong proved pivotal as USC held on for a huge road victory.

The sophomore guard Watkins erupted for a game-high 25 points, also filling up the stat sheet with six rebounds and five assists.

The Trojans raced out to a 13-point halftime lead before the Huskies roared back in the second half, even taking the lead with less than five minutes remaining. Strong scored a layup to make it 65-64, UConn.

With 30 seconds left, Watkins missed a free throw but connected on the second to put USC up 70-67. In the final five seconds, Watkins fouled Strong on a 3-point attempt, sending the Huskies freshman to the line. Strong made the first but missed the second, prompting her to intentionally miss the third.

The Huskies grabbed the offensive board, and Strong launched a 3-pointer at the buzzer but missed.

After the hard-fought affair, Watkins spoke with Fox Sports' Allison Williams. She was asked what she thought when Strong was at the free-throw line after the foul.

"Man, I was praying she missed one. She's a really strong competitor," Watkins said. "She's just so tough. So, she missed those. I know she's probably kicking herself in the foot, but she's a phenomenal player."

JuJu Watkins stats vs. UConn Huskies (Dec. 21)

JuJu Watkins, a 6-foot-2 native of Los Angeles, poured in 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the floor, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the win over Paige Bueckers' UConn.

At halftime, Watkins led the Trojans with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks as USC carried a 42-29 lead into the break. She added 10 more points in the second half as the Trojans held on late.

Here is a summary of JuJu Watkins' stat line:

• 38 minutes played
• 25 points
• 6 rebounds
• 5 assists
• 1 steal
• 3 blocks
• 3 turnovers
• 9-16 FG
• 3-4 3PT
• 4-5 FT

"I think just the way we battled it out, I didn't do it alone at all. So, we've been really prepared for this game, and I'm so proud of my team that we came out here to compete." JuJu said after the game.

"This is a surreal moment for me. I mean, it was a tough game ... we're just glad that we got the dub and gave it our all tonight."

JuJu Watkins is one of the leading scorers in the nation, averaging 24.7 points per game this season for the Trojans.