USC HC Lindsay Gottlieb can't hold back praise for JuJu Watkins' electrifying performance against Texas A&M-CC: "No Trojan has scored more"

USC star JuJu Watkins registered 23 points, five rebounds and four assists in her first NCAA Tournament game on Saturday. Her output helped the Trojans beat the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders 87-55 in their first-round clash at Galen Center.

In the process, Watkins broke the long-standing single-season points scoring Trojans record (814 points) held by USC legend Cheryl Miller. It was set in 1986, the last time the Trojans were No. 1-seeds like this year and reached the championship game.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb highlighted Watkin's achievement on Instagram, captioning her post:

"No Trojan has scored more in a season. And if you know the hoopers that have worn this jersey, it's simply amazing. But @jujubballin real superpower is that she has elevated everyone and everything around her."

Watkin's IG

During her postgame news conference, JuJu Watkins revealed her feelings about breaking the long-standing record.

“I wasn’t even aware that happened,” Watkins said. “I’m just grateful, honestly. Coach has so much trust in me. I’m just grateful to be in that mention and to be part of the Trojan legacy.”

Gottlieb praised Watkins for her performance in her postgame conference:

"JuJu handles the weight of everything with just a grace that you can’t really describe. I thought she had a terrific debut here."

JuJu Watkins leads USC to several firsts

JuJu Watkins has led the Trojans to a lot of firsts during her freshman season, including their first No. 1 seeding of this generation.

After the win against Corpus Christi, USC will proceed to the second round of March Madness for the first time in 18 years. The Trojans will next face No. 8 seed Kansas Jayhawks on Monday at 10 p.m. ET.

The much-hyped Watkins had a slow night by her standards against the Islanders, shooting just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc and 8 of 18 from the floor for 23 points. Considering some of her explosive games this season, it was a cold night for the USC star.

With 833 points scored this season, Watkins is third on the NCAA list of points scored by a freshman, 65 points behind San Diego State's Tina Hutchinson. Another record beckons.

During her postgame news conference, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb summarized JuJu Watkins's influence over the team.

“You’d be crazy if you didn’t call her [a generational talent],” Gottlieb said. “I haven’t been afraid to talk about how good we think JuJu is, especially with what’s going on in real-time here. When you guys said she broke the single-season scoring record, that’s crazy for any freshman. I just think we’re watching something really spectacular happen with JuJu … she makes others around her better.”

The NCAA Tournament has made several student-athletes into household names overnight. While JuJu Watkins is a known commodity, there's no better stage to cement her burgeoning reputation.