LOS ANGELES – She missed a couple of games after tweaking her ankle playing club ball at the recent prestigious Boo Williams Invitational, but Windward sophomore superstar Juju Watkins showed just why she is a 5-star ESPN recruit and considered one of the top Class of 2023 recruits in the nation in her first game back.
Despite playing on the sore ankle, Watkins showed just why she is so highly regarded after going for a gargantuan double-double 44 points and 22 rebounds with five steals in a Tuesday evening 66-61 come from behind home victory over a young, but no-quit Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth.
The game was a seesaw affair with Sierra Canyon having the lead at least once in all four quarters. Their biggest lead was 48-41 late in the third quarter, they led 48-45 to begin the fourth quarter, and the Trailblazers still led 56-51 with just under five minutes to play, but from there it was Juju time as Watkins turned it up a notch.
After a basket by Skye Belker cut it to 56-53, Watkins drove the lane, was fouled, and converted the three-point play for a 56-56 tie.
Sierra Canyon still wasn’t finished. Freshman standout Izela Renas hit two free throws and the Trailblazers re-took the lead at 58-56. A basket by Windward senior Michelle Ducheman (12 points) tied the game at 58. Ducheman left the game late in the first half limping on what appeared to be a possible knee or ankle injury, but she was able to return to action.
A free throw by Sierra Canyon super freshman MacKenly Randolph gave the visitors a 59-58 lead with around three minutes left, but it would be their last lead as Watkins totally took control from there.
First, Watkins scored off a steal and Windward had a 60-59 lead. Then, she drained a high-arcing three-pointer and it was 63-59 with 1:12 remaining to play. Randolph scored to cut it to 63-61, but Juju hit another long three-pointer and that was the final tally of the game.
All in all Watkins registered 15 points in the final period including outscoring the visitors 8-2 on her own down the stretch. With the two late three-pointers she had five in the game.
When asked about putting the Wildcats on her shoulders down the stretch, the 6-foot-1 Watkins, who can play any position on the court, had this to say.
“I mean, that’s what we do. If it’s not me than its someone else, but if it has to be me it’s me,” Watkins said. “It was too close so I had to step up and take over.”
Stepping up against a Gold Coast League rival that played well enough to win the game might be an understatement. Windward first-year head coach Ebony Hoffman expanded on that, and she should know talent having seen and played against the best after starring on CIF state championship teams at Narbonne-Harbor City before moving on the USC and then being selected ninth overall in the 2004 WNBA draft
“She’s amazing, she’s a game changer, she’s a takeover player, she’s a once in a generational player,” said Hoffman.
“You’ve got to milk it while she’s rolling, and she was rolling tonight,” Hoffman continued. “She had a great game today with being out, and not without being with her teammates for so long the chemistry wasn’t really there, but Juju fought through all the adversity she’s been facing.”
Sierra Canyon head coach and Cal-Hi Sports 2019 State Coach of the Year Alicia Komaki took it in stride, and why not, she starts three freshmen and a sophomore and they were in a no lose situation.
“I was really proud of our kids,” Komaki said. “I felt we deserved to win this game but they have one of the best players in the country and you have to give her credit, Juju won that game. We didn’t want to give her 40 points, but we felt if we shut everyone else down we could win even if she got 40.”
The fact that Komaki was able to showcase her two freshmen to a statewide audience was a plus as both turned some heads, particularly Randolph. The 6-footer was unstoppable, even after Hoffman switched off and had Watkins guard her. She didn’t care if it was Watkins, or Ducheman guarding her, she was going to go to the basket. Although she only converted two, Randolph had four chances at three-point plays. She finished with a solid double-double of her own after finishing with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
“We call her Mac and she’s not afraid of anybody,” Komaki said of Randolph.
Renas, a flashy combo-guard gave the Windward backcourt fits. She had 17 points (two three-pointers), six rebounds and three steals. The third freshman starter, guard Christy Reynoso, even had a four-point play after getting fouled on a made trey.
“I thought Sierra Canyon had tremendous grit,” Hoffman remarked. “Their two freshmen put us in a bad space inside and outside but we had Juju, and Michelle Ducheman was a true warrior tonight.”
Windward is now 5-1 with the lone loss coming with Watkins sidelined. The Wildcats shouldn’t be challenged until the CIF Southern Section playoffs other than a game with Long Beach Poly in two weeks and a regular season finale with Troy of Fullerton
Sierra Canyon (8-2) has now lost to two of the top players in the state. Their first loss came when Stanford-bound Kiki Iriafen (17 points and 14 rebound) led Harvard-Westlake-Studio City to a 58-48 victory over the Trailblazers. The good news for Komaki and her girls is their toughest opponents are behind them heading into the last three weeks of the regular season.
