JuJu Watkins, No. 9 USC ship No. 2 UCLA to first loss in rematch

LOS ANGELES — JuJu Watkins lay on the court docket, surrounded by her teammates, the ultimate buzzer having pale.

The freshman sensation was cramping after scoring 32 factors in No. 9 USC’s 73-65 victory over second-ranked UCLA. A coach used a handheld therapeutic massage gun on Watkins’ legs. She could not cease smiling and laughing after anticipation had stored her awake the evening earlier than.

“She simply goes all-out on a regular basis,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb stated.

Watkins and the Trojans despatched the Bruins to their first lack of the season Sunday, leaving No. 1 South Carolina because the nation’s lone undefeated group.

“As a group we simply had been simply so keen on protection,” Watkins stated. “I fed off my teammates’ power. You simply wish to be part of that. On the defensive finish, we performed an important sport. The entire group did it.”

It was Watkins’ sixth 30-point sport of the season and first since Dec. 3 for the Trojans (13-1, 3-1 Pac-12), who prolonged their residence successful streak to 17 video games.

“I felt like this was going to occur,” Gottlieb stated. “Our preparation and mentality was going to offer us an opportunity to win the sport.”

McKenzie Forbes added 18 factors because the Trojans ended a nine-game skid towards their crosstown rival. UCLA (14-1, 3-1) received 71-64 two weeks in the past at Pauley Pavilion in entrance of a report crowd of 13,659 within the colleges’ first assembly of top-10 groups this season.

“We confirmed a lot what we’re able to, not simply to followers however to ourselves,” Forbes stated.

Charisma Osborne led the Bruins with 25 factors, all within the second half in entrance of a sellout crowd of 10,258 at Galen Heart. After feeling sick at halftime, the fifth-year participant hit a layup late within the third quarter that gave her 2,000 profession factors. Lauren Betts, UCLA’s main scorer and rebounder, was held to 10 after not beginning for the primary time this season after being sick in the course of the week.

“We had been simply attempting to maintain preventing, attempting to get to the basket,” Osborne stated. “We stored giving up buckets and we could not get stops.”

All 5 of UCLA’s starters had been in foul bother, with Londynn Jones, Kiki Rice and Lina Sontag fouling out within the fourth.

Watkins was simply 8-of-22 from the sphere and missed all six of her 3-point makes an attempt, however she went 16-of-16 from the free throw line and had 10 rebounds.

“She’s going to attain,” UCLA coach Cori Shut stated, “however we did not execute what we stated we had been going to do and we did not have one another’s again and also you get caught.”

Forbes’ 3-pointer stored USC forward 60-48 within the fourth.

However the Bruins ran off 9 straight factors, capped by Jones’ 3-pointer, to get to 63-59.

Watkins hit a jumper and Taylor Bigby scored for USC. Jones’ layup drew the Bruins inside 5 factors.

Jones missed a 3-pointer and Angela Dugalic missed a layup within the remaining 14 seconds.

The Bruins outscored USC 23-17 within the third quarter, getting 13 factors by Osborne, to shut to 51-42. Watkins picked up two fast fouls early however scored 10 factors.

USC was lacking beginning heart Rayah Marshall (13 factors and 10.5 rebounds) and reserve Aaliyah Gayles, who had been each sick.

The Trojans used runs of 11-0 within the first quarter and 15-0 within the second to guide 34-19 at halftime. Twice Watkins bought her personal offensive rebound and scored regardless of defensive stress within the paint.

Earlier than Watkins bought going offensively, Harvard switch Forbes hit back-to-back 3-pointers to energy the Trojans’ first-quarter run.

The Bruins dedicated 15 turnovers that led to 16 factors for the Trojans within the first half when UCLA starters Jones, Osborne and Dugalic had been scoreless.

Among the many celebs available had been rappers Chris Brown and USC graduate Saweetie, Candace Parker and Corridor of Famer Cheryl Miller.