LOS ANGELES — Londynn Jones scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, and second-ranked UCLA defeated No. 6 USC 71-64 in a battle of unbeaten crosstown rivals Saturday, despite 27 points and 11 rebounds from JuJu Watkins at a sold-out Pauley Pavilion.
Lauren Betts had 15 points and eight rebounds while Kiki Rice scored 12 for the Bruins (12-0, 1-0 Pac-12), who beat the Trojans for the ninth straight time.
The game was attended by 13,659 fans, breaking the UCLA women’s basketball single-game mark. Among those in attendance were Clippers star Russell Westbrook, former NBA star Baron Davis and Las Vegas Aces GM Natalie Williams, all former UCLA standouts.
Watkins came in making 49.4% from the field but was 7-of-24 for the worst-shooting game of her brief college career. She missed her first four from the field and had one stretch late in the second quarter and part of the third where she missed 8 of 9.
McKenzie Forbes scored 23 for the Trojans (10-1, 0-1) and Rayah Marshall pulled down 14 rebounds.
It was the first ranked matchup between the rivals since 1985 and the first since March 1981 where both have been in the top 10.
Rice’s layup gave UCLA a 56-46 lead late in the third quarter before the Trojans went on a 13-4 run. A 3-pointer by Watkins with 6:46…
