Their sheer determination served the USC Trojans well in propelling them to a memorable victory in the Pac-12 championship game, leaving Cameron Brink’s dominance in doubt. The Trojans pulled a 74-61 upset win over #2 Stanford. It was indeed a challenging night for both the teams, however.

McKenzie Forbes played a pivotal role, leading USC to the Pac-12 title. Moreover, this win has automatically secured USC’s spot in the NCAA Tournament. On the other hand, despite being No.2 Stanford struggled to catch up on the lead. Let’s take a closer look.

Cameron Brink and Co. were trailing behind

In today’s Pac-12 conference title game, the Stanford Cardinals locked horns with the USC Trojans, however, only to face defeat. In particular, Cameron Brink encountered a challenging night, being lost in the depths of the Trojans. Despite her dominant defense, she struggled against USC’s defensive pressure as Juju and Co. specifically targeted Brink, hence limiting her opportunities.

The Trojans employed a full-fledged coverage and made it difficult for Brink to get into her rhythm. This also affected her shooting efficiency with just 7-of-17 from the field, as a result, she could score only 19 points along with 10 rebounds, and 2 assists.

On the other hand, USC’s collective effort turned out to be crucial with guard McKenzie Forbes scoring 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Meanwhile, her teammate Kayla Padilla added 13 points, 4 rebounds, and Rayah Marshall contributed a double-double with 10 points and 18 rebounds.

Hence, this win marked USC’s second Pac-12 title with their previous one being won in 2014. This season, the Trojans’ overall record of 26-5 stands highest since the 1993-94 season, a remarkable feat in itself. However, Juju Watkins was having an unusually off night.

READ MORE: Taking On JuJu Watkins & Co. in Her Next Game, Cameron Brink Gets Praise From Her Biggest Supporter

Juju slowing down on the memorable night

In today’s Pac-12 championship game, Juju Watkins faced similar challenges as Cameron Brink with the difference of being on the other side of the court. It was a part of Stanford’s strategies to do their best to limit Juju Watkins and see if the rest of the Trojans score enough to lead their team to the Pac-12 championship. and as that turned out, the Trojans did just that.

However, Juju Watkins could score only 9 points on 2-of-15 shooting and going without a field goal in the first half. This was contrary to her display in the regular season where she averaged 27.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3,3 assists per game, along with an impressive field goal percentage of 41.2%.

Kiki Iriafen was the only other Cardinal to tally double digits with 18 points. It was unfortunately not enough to stave off the red-hot Trojans.