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USC earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament for the second straight year.
The Trojans hope their season doesn’t end the way it did last year, with a loss to Connecticut in the Elite Eight, although the very same matchup could happen in the very same round this time around.
There’s a lot of basketball to be played before and after then, however, with USC looking for its third national title after winning the NCAA championship in 1983 and 1984.
First up for the top-seeded team in the Spokane 4 Regional is No. 16 North Carolina Greensboro. It’s the first time the teams are playing each other. Here’s everything you need to know to watch and enjoy the first-round game.
USC star JuJu Watkins worthy of being named player of the year ahead and has the supporting cast to win a women’s basketball national championship.
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How to watch USC vs. UNC Greensboro
The game will be shown at noon Saturday on Ch. 7. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, attending the Trojans home game at Galen Center is also an option, with tickets still available for $25 each. As a bonus, admission also includes the 2:30 p.m. game between No. 8 California and No. 9 Mississippi State.
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How did both teams get here?
The Trojans are 28-3 and 17-1 in the Big Ten Conference. They finished the regular season as the conference’s top team but lost to UCLA (a team USC had defeated twice already this season) in the Big Ten tournament final. The Bruins are the No. 1 seed in the Spokane 1 Regional (and the tournament’s top seed overall), so a fourth USC-UCLA showdown this season would only take place if both teams reach the Final Four.
The No. 1 USC Trojans, led by star JuJu Watkins, believe their schedule and success should have translated to a better NCAA tournament regional draw.
The Spartans are 25-6 overall and 17-1 in the Southern Conference. They defeated Chattanooga 64-57 in the conference tournament final to earn their first NCAA Division I tournament bid since 1998, when No. 15 UNC Greensboro was blown out by No. 2 Alabama 94-46.
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Who to watch
USC sophomore JuJu Watkins is the Big Ten player of the year and a two-time unanimous first-team All-American. She leads the Trojans with 24.6 points, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals a game. Senior Kiki Iriafen, a third-team All-American, is averaging 18.2 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds a game, and senior Rayah Marshall leads the way with 1.9 blocks a game.
Senior Jayde Gamble sets the pace for the Spartans with 11.8 points, 2.6 assists and 2.1 steals a game, while senior teammate Khalis Cain contributes 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game.
