USC’s Juju Watkins recorded a double-double, but the Bruins flaunted depth and aggression in the win.
The UCLA-USC women’s basketball rivalry was elevated on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 13,659 at Pauley Pavilion.
No. 2 UCLA still has the upper hand in that rivalry, beating No. 6 USC 71-64 in an unforgettable Pac-12 opener to remain unbeaten. It’s the Bruins’ ninth straight win over the Trojans.
Londynn Jones was everywhere for the Bruins (12-0) and finished the game with a team-high 21 points in addition to six rebounds. Lauren Betts added 15 points and eight rebounds and Kiki Rice chipped in 12 points.
Standout freshman Juju Watkins recovered from an unsteady start that had her visibly frustrated to finish with a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds for USC (10-1). McKenzie Forbes added 23 points.
The Bruins opened up with an 8-0 lead before Forbes made two free throws to get USC on the scoreboard. They guarded the Trojans tough, especially Watkins, who was averaging 26.
