USC’s NCAA Tournament win over Mississippi State on Monday was problematic for the Trojans in two ways.
Not only did they lose star JuJu Watkins to a season-ending knee injury, but the top-seeded March Madness contender also had a heated confrontation with the Bulldogs in the post-game handshake line.
Immediately following the 96-59 win over eighth-seeded Mississippi State, USC center Rayah Marshall was recorded by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver attempting to confront Bulldogs players.
Assistant coach Wendale Farrow is seen throwing his arms around her 6-foot-4 fame during Marshall’s furious attempts to outflank the crowd and reengage with Mississippi State players.
The cause of the skirmish remains unclear. DailyMail.com has reached out to spokespeople for both the USC and Mississippi State women’s basketball programs.
The moment was unfortunate for Marshall, a senior from Los Angeles, who was playing in her final game at USC’s Galen Center.
Teammates and USC assistant Wendale Farrow all tried to corral a furious Rayah Marshall
USC’s Rayah Marshall finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes
Of course, Marshall’s incident was hardly the biggest concern for USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
‘I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu lying on the floor and crying,’ Gottlieb said.
Watkins, one of the biggest stars in women’s basketball, was streaking to the basket chased by two defenders when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right leg, the non-contact injury causing her to crumple to the floor. She grabbed her knee and writhed in pain as her teammates surrounded her.
The crowd in Galen Center went silent as Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to the 19-year-old Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points. She was carried off by multiple people with the Trojans leading 13-2.
Later on, a team spokesperson said Watkins will undergo surgery and then begin rehabilitation.
‘My prayers and thoughts are with JuJu,’ MSU coach Sam Purcell said. ‘Obviously, we’re competitors and you never want to see that, especially what she means for women’s basketball.’
Watkins has enjoyed good health in her brief college career. She started all 34 of USC’s games as a freshman, when she was second in scoring nationally with 27.1 points a game. Her 920 points set a national record for freshman scoring.
USC reached the Elite Eight last year, losing to Paige Bueckers and UConn. The teams could meet again in a regional final in Spokane, Washington, this year.
JuJu Watkins was left writhing on the ground in pain after the injury on Monday night
After Watkins was hurt, the crowd loudly booed Mississippi State every time it had the ball. The school’s cheerleaders were booed during their halftime routine and the crowd got on the team again as it warmed up for the second half.
‘They’re gonna stand behind their home team. They’re gonna go hard for JuJu,’ said MSU guard Jerkaila Jordan, who scored 17 points. ‘I couldn’t do nothing but respect them.’
Watkins had three free throws, one rebound and two assists in five minutes.
In the second quarter, USC guard Malia Samuels went down hard on the baseline. She held her head in her hands as the crowd booed and Gottlieb again came rushing out to check on the sophomore, who ran the offense in Watkins’ absence.
‘I was relieved to hear her say, ‘I’m good,” Gottlieb said.
The Trojans appeared undaunted by the injury to their star. They rushed the floor in celebration after Marshall banked in a 3-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer and extend the lead to 50-27.
Marshall finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes.
