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March Madness live updates, scores, bracket: JuJu Watkins carried off court with injury; UConn and Texas advance
- It’s not a huge surprise, considering the injury and the score, but JuJu Watkins will not return tonight.
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- Even without JuJu Watkins, the Trojans are rolling. They’re up by 23 now at halftime, which is their second-largest halftime lead in an NCAA tournament game in program history.
- Kiki Iriafen leads the way with 15 points, and the Trojans are shooting nearly 55% as a group.
- JuJu Watkins took over as the face of women’s college basketball after Caitlin Clark’s exit to the WNBA and was poised to dominate in her second NCAA Tournament. She is an NIL star in commercials and one of the brightest, most well known players in college hoops. Fans in arenas around the country attend to see her.
- If the injury is serious and keeps her out of the rest of the tournament, it significantly alters the NCAA Tournament outlook and that of USC. The Trojans don’t have enough around her to adjust. It will also impact next season and the transfer portal, which opened today.
- Watkins appeared to be battling an illness in the Big Ten Tournament and hurt her wrist in the Trojans’ first tournament game. She carries a heavy load as the predominant and sometimes only offense for USC.
- Here’s the injury to JuJu Watkins:
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- Her right knee buckled, and she immediately grabbed it in obvious pain. Watkins was quickly picked up and carried off the court to the locker room by members of the USC staff.
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- Watkins was fouled on the play and was not able to take her free throws. Avery Howell took them instead and hit both to extend USC’s lead to 15-2.
- USC fans at the Galen Center booed loudly in the aftermath of the foul and injury. USC finished the first quarter with a 28-8 lead.
- JuJu Watkins is down on the floor near the baseline being attended to by the team’s medical staff after hurting her right knee. This is not a good sign for the Trojans star, who hurt her wrist in their first game, too.
- Watkins is up, and looks like she’s in a ton of pain. Not putting any weight in her right leg at all, and is being carried off the floor.
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- The Trojans aren’t wasting any time. That’s a 9-0 run to start the game backed by 3-pointers from Kennedy Smith and Talia von Oelhoffen to force an early timeout from Mississippi State.
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- The last game of the night is officially underway. JuJu Watkins and USC will try to make it into the Sweet 16, where Kansas State is waiting.
- It’s an emotional scene at Gampel Pavilion for Paige Bueckers after her final home game.
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- Paige Bueckers’ final home game went exactly as planned. She matched her career-high with 34 points to lead the Huskies to the Sweet 16 once again.
- It’ll mark their 31st straight Sweet 16 appearance.
- What a way to go out at Gampel Pavilion. That’s 34 points for Paige Bueckers in what’s turned out to be a blowout win.
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- We’re about done here. UConn outscored South Dakota State 29-8 in the third quarter. Bueckers has hit 32, which is her second career 30-point game in the NCAA tournament and matched her career-high in the event.
- Paige Bueckers is officially in tournament mode. She’s eclipsed her 18 ppg average and is nearing a season-high. The senior scored 29 against each of Ole Miss and North Carolina.
- Bueckers didn’t fill up the box score with points this season, but she didn’t have to do so for UConn to have success. The guard’s greatest asset is efficiency in everything she does, from scoring to decision making and her ability to find the open player. The three steals today are also two off a season high.
- We’ll get a North Carolina-Duke matchup in the Sweet 16. The Tobacco Road rivals will face each other in Birmingham on Friday afternoon after the Tar Heels defeated West Virginia in their second-round matchup.
- Alyssa Ustby scored a game-high 21 for North Carolina, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor. Lexi Donarski added 11. The Tar Heels shot 36%, 20% on 3-pointers.
- Jordan Harrison led the Mountaineers with 10 points, but shot 2-of-8. Kyah Watson added nine on 4-of-11 shooting, while JJ Quinerly went 2-for-11 and scored eight points. West Virginia shot 24% as a team, 10% on 3-pointers (2-of-21).
- UNC is making its first trip to the Sweet 16 in three seasons and for the 19th time in program history. Duke defeated Oregon on Sunday to advance to the NCAA tournament third round.
- It was all UConn in the second quarter. They outscored the Jackrabbits 24-14 to break open a 15-point lead at halftime. Paige Bueckers has 21 points, which matches her career-best in any half of an NCAA tournament game.
- North Carolina has expanded its lead to 49-38 over West Virginia after four consecutive points from Alyssa Ustby. There are still nearly eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but the Tar Heels are beginning to pull away.
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- That’s an 11-2 run now for the Huskies, capped by a 3-pointer from Paige Bueckers, and their lead is suddenly up to 12 midway through the second quarter.
- Both North Carolina and West Virginia scored nearly as many points in the third quarter as they did in the first half.
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- The Mountaineers had an opportunity to cut the deficit to three or two points to end the frame. But UNC’s Indya Nivar blocked a 3-point attempt by JJ Quinerly. Lexi Donarski got the ricochet and fed Nivar for a fast-break layup at the buzzer to give the Tar Heels a 45-38 lead.
- Thanks to Paige Bueckers, UConn has a 19-14 lead after the first quarter. She scored the Huskies’ final 10 points of the frame, leading a 14-4 run in the last three minutes.
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- It’s still a defensive struggle between North Carolina and West Virginia midway through the third quarter in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have a 33-30 lead over the Mountaineers with both teams scoring nine points thus far through the frame.
- Alyssa Utsby is the first player to hit double figures in this one, reaching 10 points.
- It’s early, but South Dakota State has taken an early 10-4 lead over UConn midway through the first quarter in Storrs, led by two 3-pointers from Madison Mathiowetz.
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