Latest / Best of: Features / JuJu Watkins returns with 21 points as USC teammates celebrate her comeback in 100-68 win over UNLV

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JuJu Watkins returns with 21 points as USC teammates celebrate her comeback in 100-68 win over UNLV · Best of: Features

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  JuJu Watkins returns with 21 points as USC teammates celebrate her comeback
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  in 168 win over UNLV. Written by WG Ramirez This
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  article is being read by an automated voice generated by Everlet. Las
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  Vegas, the AP. Juju Watkins spent last season supporting teammates while working
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  toward her own return. Monday they finally got to celebrate with her
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  on the court. Watkins scored twenty one points in number three Southern
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  California's one hundred sixty eight victory over UNLV, giving the Trojans their
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  star back after an ACL injury sidelined her for an entire season.
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  I mean it's hard to describe how much this team has her
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  back, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. It's a group that really cares
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  for her as a human being. Watkins played twenty five minutes, finishing
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  with five rebounds and two assists. She made nine of twenty two
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  shots, and scored eleven points during a third quarter that turned a
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  thirteen point halftime lead into a thirty four point advantage. Watkins wasn't
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  made available to Media after the game. For sophomore Jazzy Davidson, the
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  opportunity to play alongside Watkins followed a season of watching her rehab
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  the injuries she suffered in the NCAA tournament as a sophomore. Watkins
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  still was around the team last season while recovering. Just seeing all
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  the hard work she put in all throughout last season to get
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  healthy and to get better, and on top of that, just the
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  way that, she was there for all of us, Davidson said, she
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  was a great mentor to me. Gottlieb said USC is restricting Watkins
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  minutes as she builds her workload. Her physical progress has been encouraging,
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  with timing and comfort expected to improve through competition. I think she
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  physically looks great, explosive wise and all that, Gottlieb said. It's just
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  finding that rhythm. Watkins presence also creates opportunities for teammates. Davidson scored
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  twenty-three points and freshman Sania Hall added twenty-two as USC showcased an
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  offense with multiple scoring options. Gottlieb expects Watkins to become sharper and
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  more comfortable as the season progresses. Monday offered a starting point for
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  both the guard and a team still learning to play together. The
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  game is just better with her in it, Gottlieb said. Sign up
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  for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here, and
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  see the AP's full college basketball coverage here.