USC’s JuJu Watkins exits vs. Mississippi State with apparent knee injury

LOS ANGELES — USC ruled out superstar JuJu Watkins for the remainder of Monday’s second-round matchup against Mississippi State after she fell hard on her right knee halfway through the first quarter.

Watkins was running the floor in transition and knocked into a Bulldogs player while driving to the basket. Referees whistled a foul on fifth-year forward Chandler Prater as Watkins writhed in pain and clutched her knee on the ground. Her teammates huddled in a circle around her, and coaches Lindsay Gottlieb and Wendale Farrow came from the bench to check on Watkins before Trojans staffers carried the sophomore guard off the floor.

Watkins didn’t put weight on either leg, and the staffers took her to the end of the court opposite the USC locker room to get off the floor as soon as possible. Freshman Avery Howell came off the bench to take the foul shots with 4:43 to play in the first.

Watkins had 3 points, two assists and one rebound before exiting in No. 1 seed USC’s 96-59 win over the ninth-seeded Bulldogs.

Watkins is no stranger to falls during a game. She suffered a knock in the first-round contest against UNC Greensboro and asked to be subbed out on the ensuing defensive possession. She eventually returned to the game and played it off afterward, saying, “It’s the end of the season, body’s a little banged up, but onto the next. Nobody really cares, so onto the next.”

Watkins has yet to miss a game throughout her college career, playing all 34 games as a freshman and making 33 starts throughout her sophomore season.

Last week, the 6-foot-2 guard was named a unanimous first-team AP All-American for the second consecutive year. This season, she became the first basketball player at the Division I collegiate, WNBA and NBA levels since 2000 to score 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in a game. Watkins, who is averaging 24.6 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, also became the fastest Trojan to score 1,000 career points in the program’s history earlier this season.

As a No. 1 seed for the consecutive season, USC is looking to reach its first Final Four since 1986.

This story will be updated.

(Photo: Robert Hanashiro / Imagn Images)