JuJu Watkins' strong close vs. Baylor puts USC into Elite Eight - ESPN

PORTLAND, Ore. — As the intensity rose in the Moda Center on Saturday with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line, the youngest player on the court stayed calm.

As she has been throughout her record-setting freshman season, USC's JuJu Watkins was cool and collected in scoring nine of the Trojans' last 10 points to lead a 74-70 comeback win over the upset-minded Baylor Bears.

«You can just measure someone's kind of pulse, she just is even-keeled, and it's really cool, the way that she plays,» USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. «She cares. She's a winner. Nobody's going to rattle her. Not officials, not another team. Not teammates. It's something to see, and I think it's what makes her a great one and is going to make her one of the greatest ones.»

Although Watkins had 21 points midway through the fourth quarter, she hadn't scored in more than 12 minutes of game time as Baylor — fresh off upsetting host Virginia Tech to reach the Sweet 16 — opened up a 64-61 lead with 4:19 remaining.

The Bears had done what coach Nicki Collen called a «great job» defending Watkins, who finished 8-of-28 from the field — tied for her third-most missed shots in a game at USC. Yet her teammates never doubted that Watkins would come through with their season on the line.

«JuJu's a winner and we see the work she puts in,» said senior guard McKenzie Forbes, the team's second-leading scorer with 14 points. «We don't lack confidence. We have all the trust in the world.»

«She's a competitor,» said center Rayah Marshall, who had a double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds. «I can trust her with my life. Like, when it come down to winning, she going to do what she has to do.»

What she had to do was manufacture points. With the game tied at 64, Watkins