LOS ANGELES – The No. 6 USC Trojans defeated the No. 1 UCLA Bruins, marking their first victory over a No. 1 team since 1983, 71-60 on Thursday night at the Galen Center.
The Trojans limited the Bruins to just eight points in the fourth quarter, as Juju Watkins scored 38 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and provided five assists, along with a career-high eight blocks.
On the night before Valentine's Day, it was a JuJu special featuring an outstanding performance in front of 10,258 fans. After the game, I asked Watkins what she has learned from coach Lindsay Gottlieb and she reflected on their relationship.
“Coach has just always been by my side throughout the whole process, and she calms me down in moments and puts me in the right position to do what I do,” Watkins said.
Watkins made history by becoming the first player in the last 20 seasons across all Division I schools to achieve 35 points, 5 blocks, and 5 assists in a single game. She also set a career-high with a total of eight blocks.
Darwin Walker - The Sporting Tribune
UCLA G (3) Londynn Jones attempts a jump shot against USC on February 13, 2025 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA.
This victory is one of the most significant for Watkins, as she led USC to hand the undefeated Bruins their first loss of the season. Although Kiki Iriafen didn't have her best offensive night, she still made a considerable impact by scoring nine of her 13 points in the fourth quarter.
The Trojans staged a remarkable comeback in the fourth quarter after only scoring nine points in the third quarter. Their strong overall team performance was showcased in front of notable attendees, including Kevin Hart, Vanessa Bryant, Flea, and the newly acquired Kelsey Plum, who were all there to witness the crosstown rivalry.
Issa Rae & Kevin Hart in the building! 🏡 pic.twitter.com/5muuKM01zY
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) February 14, 2025
The game was intense in the fourth quarter when Avery Howell hit a contested three-pointer, giving the Trojans a 58-56 lead with under five minutes remaining. From that point on, USC seemed to take control of the game. Howell finished with five points and two rebounds in the win against UCLA.
Kennedy Smith was rising to the challenge on the defensive end late in the fourth quarter, engaging in a back-and-forth battle with UCLA's Kiki Rice. This intense interaction energized the USC fans, ultimately helping secure a few stops to secure the win.
“She rattles the other players so much where their minds are scrambled,” Watkins said.
The contributions of Smith to USC were notable, even though he finished with only four points after going 1 for 8 from the field in 31 minutes of play.
The night was productive for Rice, who scored 15 points and dished out six assists in 33 minutes of play.
UCLA's Lauren Betts opened the second half with seven consecutive points during the Bruins' 10-0 run, giving them a seven-point lead. Betts ended the game with 18 points and also recorded 13 rebounds; however, she did not score in the last 15 minutes of the game.
It was an intense coaching matchup between two top college coaches, UCLA's Cori Close and coach Gottlieb. In the first half, Coach Close struggled to find an answer on defense as Watkins exploded for 25 points, shooting 6 of 7 from beyond the arc. Her six three-pointers in the half marked a career-high, and her 25 points tied her personal best for most points scored in a half.
USC managed to hold UCLA to 2 of 13 from three-point range as the Bruins struggled offensively during the late fourth quarter.
The Trojans led by as many as 14 points during the game, forcing 20 turnovers and converting them into 21 points. Additionally, second-chance opportunities played a significant role, as the Trojans allowed only three points off such chances.
While USC had two players in double figures—Watkins with 38 points and Iriafen with 18—the rest of the team also contributed significantly. Clarice Akunwafo played 20 crucial minutes off the bench, helping to slow down Betts in the paint. Although they allowed the Bruins to score 26 points in the paint, USC secured the victory by holding the No. 1 team in the country to just 15.4% shooting from beyond the arc.
Coach Gottlieb acknowledged Akunwafo's defense on Betts, which helped the Trojans defeat the Bruins.
"It’s just a clinic in post-defense." Coach Gottlieb said.
Coach Close was not pleased after the game, as she pointed out the obvious mistakes that occurred on the court against USC.
“We got out-toughed in the fourth quarter,” coach Close said. “We didn’t do things together when it got hard.”
The UCLA Bruins will play against the USC Trojans on Saturday, March 1st, in their final regular-season game. Following this, USC will travel to Washington to take on the Huskies on Sunday afternoon.