No. 18 USC opens season with 87-48 rout of New Mexico State as JuJu Watkins cheers from bench

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA transfer Londynn Jones scored 16 points, touted freshman Jazzy Davidson added 14 points in her debut and No. 18 USC opened the season with an 87-48 rout of New Mexico State on Tuesday night as star guard JuJu Watkins watched from the bench.

Watkins will miss the season while recovering from a torn ACL that occurred in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in March. With her signature bun sticking straight back instead of on top of her head, Watkins cheered and patted teammates encouragingly during timeouts.

Davidson started slowly, missing all three of her shots while committing three turnovers in eight minutes of the first quarter. She missed all seven of her 3-point attempts but made 6 of 7 free throws to go with five rebounds and four assists and she didn't have another turnover.

The Aggies came out strongly, taking a 13-12 lead before the Trojans scored the final eight points to fuel a dominant run.

Lucia Yenes scored a career-high 27 points for the Aggies (0-1). Imani Warren added 11 while picking up four fouls. The rest of the team was a combined 5 of 22 from the field.

The Trojans put the game away with a 33-10 run over the end of the first and start of the second quarter. Davidson had eight points, including her first collegiate basket on a layup in the second.

Yenes scored all 10 of the Aggies' points in the second when USC stepped up its defensive pressure with double teams. The Trojans forced 24 turnovers that led to 24 points.

Davidson ran off five points in a row in the third, hitting a jumper and spinning around and making another while drawing a foul. USC led by 33 points late in the period and went up by 41 late in the game.

New Mexico State hosts New Mexico Highlands in its home opener on Nov. 11

USC plays North Carolina State in Charlotte at the Ally Tipoff on Sunday.

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