The Scarlet Knights suffered their worst home defeat in school history on Sunday night as No. 4 USC defeated Rutgers 92-42 behind 23 points and 14 rebounds from JuJu Watkins.
Kiyomi McMiller, the team’s star freshman guard, was absent from Rutgers. Coach Coquese Washington made the choice, according to the school, and it will be handled internally. McMiller scores 19.9 points per game on average.
The Scarlet Knights’ offensive suffered without McMiller. Before Destiny Adams made a basket to bring Rutgers within 10-3, they missed their first eight shots.
After the first quarter, the Trojans (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) led 22-8 and increased their lead to 37-14 at the half. Rutgers (8-7, 0-4) never got inside 30 points the rest of the third quarter after USC scored the first 12 points.
Whether the winning margin would eclipse the school’s all-time record 54-point loss to Iowa in 2023—the worst in school history—was the lone drama left in the final period.
With 3:50 remaining, Watkins checked out for the final time, making it a 49-point game. The Scarlet Knights managed to score enough points to avoid establishing the questionable mark.
Takeaways
USC: The Trojans had the opportunity to get some of their reserve guys some quality playing time even though they weren’t challenged from the beginning to the end.
Rutgers: The offense suffered without McMiller, and the Scarlet Knights may have a difficult season while she is away.
Key moment
When the usually amusing Frisbee-catching canines demonstrated their skills at halftime, the Rutgers supporters let forth the loudest cheer of the evening.
Key stat
Rutgers lost to USC 37–6 on fastbreak points.
Up next
On Wednesday, USC will travel to play undefeated No. 8 Maryland. On Wednesday, Rutgers travels to Minnesota.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!