JuJu Watkins Returns as No. 3 USC Rolls Past UNLV, 100-68, in Season Opener

Monday, November 2

Las Vegas, Nev.

1:00 PM

USC

1-0,0-0Big Ten

100

UNLV

0-1,0-0Mountain West

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Southern California	29	23	31	17	100
UNLV	15	24	10	19	68

Photo by: Katie Chin/USC Athletics

November 02, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Davidson scores 23, Hall adds 22 in her collegiate debut and Watkins delivers 21 points in her return to action.

LAS VEGAS — In her first game in 588 days, JuJu Watkins scored 21 points in 21 minutes as No. 3 USC opened the 2026-27 season with a commanding 100-66 victory over UNLV on Monday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena.

Sophomore Jazzy Davidson led the Women of Troy with 23 points, while freshman Saniyah Hall poured in 22 points and seven rebounds in her collegiate debut. Davidson, Hall and Watkins combined for 66 of USC's 100 points as the Trojans reached triple digits in a season opener for the first time since scoring 102 against BYU to begin the 1985-86 campaign.

USC improved to 40-11 all-time in season openers with its 12th consecutive opening-day victory. The win was the 895th in program history and the Trojans' fifth straight in Las Vegas.

Davidson opened the scoring with a pull-up jumper before Hall recorded the first point of her USC career at the free-throw line. Watkins then made her long-awaited return felt at the 5:50 mark, converting a layup through contact and completing the three-point play for her first points since March 24, 2025.

The Trojans began to pull away late in the opening quarter. Pania Davis and Sitaya Fagan each scored their first points in a USC uniform before Hall buried a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 20-11. Laura Williams followed with the first 3-pointer of her career, and Hall added a layup and another triple as USC closed the period on a 14-4 run to take a 29-15 advantage.

USC continued to build its lead in the second quarter behind Watkins and Davidson. Watkins opened the period with a driving layup, and Davidson turned a steal into a score before connecting from beyond the arc to put the Trojans ahead 46-31. USC carried a 52-point total into halftime, its highest-scoring first half since posting 53 against Northwestern on Feb. 5, 2026.

Hall ignited the Trojans out of the break, scoring on consecutive possessions with a jumper followed by a steal and layup. She later knocked down her third 3-pointer of the game to give USC a 61-39 lead.

Watkins took over midway through the third quarter. After exchanging assists with Davidson on back-to-back layups, the senior converted a three-point play off a Ryann Bennett steal and delivered a highlight block that led to a Davis layup. Watkins then scored on consecutive possessions before finding Kennedy Smith for a jumper that sent USC into the fourth quarter with an 83-49 advantage.

Davis opened the final period with two free throws before Saniyah Hall added three at the line to give the Trojans an 89-51 advantage. Davidson later found Kennedy Smith for a jumper, Sitaya Fagan scored in the paint and Davidson's pull-up pushed USC to 98 points. Freshman Rian Forestier then grabbed an offensive rebound and converted the putback with 42 seconds remaining, lifting the Trojans to the triple digit mark and sealing the 100-68 victory.

Hall finished 7-for-8 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range while adding two blocks and two steals. Watkins contributed five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block, and Davidson added five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

USC returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 8 as the Trojans host Utah State at the Galen Center at 5 p.m. PT. The game will air on Big Ten Network.

NOTES:

USC scored 100 points for the 36th time in program history and the first time since Nov. 29, 2024
The Trojans reached 100 points in a season opener for the first time since scoring 102 against BYU to open the 1985-86 season
USC's 52 first-half points were its most since scoring 53 against Northwestern on Feb. 5, 2026
Jazzy Davidson led USC with 23 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Davidson was 10-11 from the field
In her USC debut, Saniyah Hall recorded 22 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals while shooting 7-for-8 from the field and 3-for-4 from three
Playing her first game in 588 days, JuJu Watkins scored 21 points with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 21 minutes
Davidson, Hall and Watkins combined for 66 of USC's 100 points.
Five Trojans scored in double figures: Davidson (23), Hall (22), Watkins (21), Kennedy Smith (12) and Sitaya Fagan (11).
Smith shot 5-for-8 from the field and added three assists, four steals and one block
Fagan scored 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting off the bench, adding three assists and one block in her USC debut
Pania Davis and Fagan scored their first points as Trojans, while Laura Williams made the first 3-pointer of her career
All 12 available Trojans appeared in the season opener
The Trojans improve to 40-11 all-time in season openers and have won 12 consecutive opening-day games
Today's victory marked the 895th in program history and USC's fifth straight in Las Vegas