USC's JuJu Watkins drops 27 points in a thrilling opening win over Ole Miss in Paris

NCAA women's basketball is back and it started with a bang.

In the first ranked game of the season, No. 3 USC staved off a comeback against No. 20 Ole Miss with a 68-66 win to open the season. The match was the first of two opening games in Paris as part of the so-called Aflac Oui Play, in which No. 5 UCLA will face No. 17 Louisville later on Monday.

USC sophomore star JuJu Watkins dropped 27 points in the win, kicking off what is sure to be another successful season.

The Trojans got off to a good start, building a lead in the first three quarters and adding up to 15 points. But Ole Miss didn't let up, closed the gap and finally took the lead with five minutes left.

With less than 30 seconds to play, USC guard Talia von Oelhoffen hit a contested layup that popped straight out, but was called for a foul and hit two free throws to tie the score at 66.

USC forward and recent transfer Kiki Iriafen did a good job stealing a ball from Ole Miss, giving the Trojans a chance to take the lead. Von Oehlhoffen missed a three-pointer on that possession, but a foul on Iriafen gave USC a chance to take the lead with free throws. Iriafen scored both, with USC leading 68-66 with less than 10 seconds left. USC then prevented Ole Miss from firing a shot before the clock reached zero, holding off the Rebels and securing a big win to open the season.

Overall, it was a good performance from USC, with the team shooting 40% from the floor. However, there are still things to consider for the rest of the season: The Trojans had a whopping 26 turnovers, with Ole Miss scoring 18 points from those mistakes, and they were just 1-11 on three-pointers.

Watkins finished strong for USC despite a bloody nose and an early technical foul, recording 10 rebounds and five blocks in addition to her 27 points. Iriafen, who transferred to USC after a standout season at Stanford, finished the game with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

KK Deans finished the night with 19 points for Ole Miss, including several key contested shots in the fourth quarter.

Both teams will now return to the United States for a series of non-conference games as the season gets into full swing. Ole Miss' next big matchup is against No. 9 NC State on Dec. 5, while USC will face No. 9 UConn in a blockbuster matchup on Dec. 21.