Kennedy Smith Powers No. 7 USC Women along the State of Ohio - San Bernardino Sun County

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Elsay Lemmilä from Buckeye was fouled by Talia Von Oelhoffen on USC during the game of the second half in Galen Center on Saturday, February 8, 2025 (photo of Axel Coster, contributing photographer)

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Los Angeles – four minutes, Judge Watkins’s jumper sailed through the air without throwing an inch of iron, and she slid further into descent. Seven seconds later, Kiki Iriafen’s dribble fell out of her hand and got out of the borders, and the USC began a huge home game on Saturday against Ohio with its offensive engines.

Last February, with a different life and a different list, this USC program was not able to win this game. Not when they turned the ball over five times in four minutes against the eighth ranked team in the nation. Not when the interior looks from Bigs, it does not cause the rim to be applied. Not when Watkins, their superstar, began their night 0-for-11 in a puzzling combination of powerlessness and passivity.

Last February, however, USC had no Kennedy Smith.

The freshman clicked early the offensive struggles of the Trojans by clicking the channel three for the first points of USC after starting 0-for-6. She pursues the talented State Guard at Ohio Wallows Cambridge, their second leading goal scorer finished 11 points at shooting 5 to 15. She scolded and shouted and offered a brief hand on Watkins’ third quarter through her struggles. And she put the Ohio State in the fourth quarter, putting her back into the chance of Ohio and just exceeding her for a retreat while USC takes off Bukeys 84-63 in a brand match in the center of Galen.

“I think we just started seeing what she was capable of,” said chief coach Lindsay Gottlib for Smith, Postgame. “I do not know that this is a surprise for the people in our locker room, but I think on a national scale it will just continue to become more and more known because it is just the winner.”

It became well known to Ohio coach Kevin McGuf, who called Smith “great” after boxing: 13 points, 13 rebounds, three threes, five assists.

“She can be the inevitable character for this team,” McGuf, posting. “Obviously, Judju is an incredible player and rightly attracts a lot of attention. And Kiki, the same thing. “

“But I think Kennedy Smith can be, a really important player for them down the back of the season.”

And Smith filled the gaps beautifully, on Saturday against the backdrop of a brutal start, which saw Watkins ignited like never before.

With a few seconds left in the first quarter, she grabbed the ball on the wing, holding it for a few seconds – and then passively dropped the ball and walked as the zoometer sounded.

With a few seconds left in the second quarter, she threw a dribble up the hardwood in a race against the clock – and then stumbled and lost control as the zumer sounded.

In both circumstances, the result was quite shocking the same: Watkins, the woman with the freedom to create everything she wanted under Galen’s lights did not shoot when a shot was available.

As Watkins breastfeeds line 0-for-4 at the beginning of the second quarter, Gottlib, which usually spends his time walking up and down near the goal scorer’s table, was sitting next to the sophomore of the bench. The head coach was waving his hands, frantically, in a clear effort to explain and instruct.

Watkins just stared, empty, rubbing the side of his face.

But it was a USC team (21-2, 11-1 Big Ten), which can win without making threes, as Gottlib said in late January. Scratch this – they can win without taking pictures in general. Had enough length, heart and grit to carry their list for 40 minutes against the state of Ohio, and the offensive imbalance was exceeded by pure power During the bigger part of the night, the Trojans of Ohio State and keep the bouquets until only 29% firing.

Big Iriafen All-World, which feasted with 24 points and 13 rebounds, despite early rpm, dropped in the first six USC points from the second half after the Trojans took an eight-point lead in the second half. The permanent center of Raya Marshall was huge, ending two deposits from the third quarter and ended with 10 points and four blocks. And Watkins, her face twisted and twisted with every stroke she was driving at the tape, ended several difficult consensus at the end of the third quarter to break the land in the goal field.

And despite the 5th-21 book, with Watkins shooting only 31% in her last four games, she unlocked her shot in the fourth quarter, scattered three deep with a minute to lock the fifth USC of the Year.

“I think we all believe that she will find a rhythm,” Gottlib said after the game, “and at the same time lean on all the other things that the team is doing well.”

Originally Posted: February 8, 2025 at 20:50 PST

Kennedy Smith Powers No. 7 USC Women along the State of Ohio – San Bernardino Sun County

By james art

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