Watkins, as she often does, excelled, finishing with 22 points in a 76-66 victory against the Fighting Illini that kept USC in contention for the No. 1 national ranking that became available following Notre Dame’s double-overtime loss Sunday at NC State.

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Time and again, Illinois women’s basketball seems to defy expectations. After battling No. 3 UCLA and losing 70-55 in the first of a two-game Los Angeles road trip, the 25th-ranked Illini traveled across town for a matchup with JuJu Watkins and her fourth-ranked USC Trojans.