Led by JuJu Watkins’ 32-point performance, the No. 9 USC Trojans (13-1, 3-1) bested the No. 2 UCLA Bruins (14-1, 3-1) 73-65 at home. The Trojans not only earned a Pac-12 victory over their biggest rival, but also handed the Bruins their first loss of the season.
Watkins was the engine that kept the Trojans going, but she wasn’t out there alone. Kayla Padilla scored 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field and McKenzie Forbes added 18 points of her own, including going 3-for-5 from deep. The Bruins played catch up the entire game, never getting into a grove or having any control. Charisma Osborne got going in the second half and ended the night with 25 points, but no one else found a rhythm for UCLA.
UCLA will have to process this loss and prepare quickly for another tough game against No. 5 Colorado on the road. The Buffaloes just beat No. 8 Stanford and are better than expected. USC won’t have it much easier as they head to Utah to face Alissa Pili and No. 19 Utah. The Pac-12 is as tough as nails this year.
FINAL: USC ends UCLA’s rivalry winning streak at nine with a 73-65 victory. JuJu Watkins 32 points. She got stuck at the bottom of the post-game dog pile with what looked like a cramp.
— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) January 15, 2024
The first quarter…
