What a difference two weeks can make.
No. 9 USC extracted revenge on No. 2 UCLA Sunday, holding them off for a 73-65 win and handing them their first loss of the season, as the Bruins had done to them 15 days prior.
The Trojans executed the damage similarly to the way it had been done to them in the team’s first meeting, with suffocating defense, tough physical play and fueled by the energy of a sold-out, raucous crowd.
Freshman JuJu Watkins lead the way for USC with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while McKenzie Forbes added 18 points and Kayla Padilla, 13.
Trojan coach Lindsay Gottlieb said that after their first meeting with UCLA, who held them to 33.4 percent shooting, all but Watkins and Forbes put the rematch out of their minds.
“It wasn’t until (last week) that everyone watched film from that game,” Gottlieb said. “Then we knew what we had to do. Our players really understood the game plan, and were able to be more aggressive on the ball.”
They also knew it had to be a total team effort, as starting center Rayah Marshall was ill and couldn’t play.
“We knew we needed a bit more from everybody, if we’re losing someone of that caliber,” Gottlieb said.
Both teams were slow…
