NCAAW: JuJu Watkins was incredible as No. 6 USC defeated No. 1 UCLA

On Thursday night, the matchup between No. 6 USC and No. 1 UCLA lived up to the hype.

The Trojans pulled off the upset, defeating the unbeaten Bruins, 71-60. This is their first win over an AP-ranked No. 1 team since 1983, when USC defeated Louisiana Tech in the national championship game.

For the Trojans, everything started and ended with JuJu Watkins. Across her two years in college, this game may be her best moment so far. Watkins had 38 points, 11 rebounds, knocked down six 3-pointers and had a whopping eight blocks. The only other player in double figures for USC was Kiki Iriafen, who scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

In this first defeat for UCLA, Lauren Betts struggled from the field, shooting 5-for-13, but still managed to score 18 points and grab 13 rebounds. Kiki Rice had a solid game as well, with 15 points.

How JuJu and the Trojans took down the Bruins

The game began with Talia von Oelhoffen hitting a 3-pointer for the Trojans. Betts scored two free throws and after a Gabriela Jaquez layup, the Bruins were up 4-3.

Then Watkins got going. She scored eight-straight points, including a 3-pointer where she stumbled on the ground, got back up and still drained the basket.

After two Kayleigh Heckel free throws and a Iriafen make, Watkins added another triple to extend the USC advantage to 18-10. At the end of the opening quarter, USC held a nine-point edge. Watkins kept firing early in the second quarter, converting on another 3. Once again, Watkins scored eight-straight points for the Trojans.

The Bruins slowly chipped away at the deficit. Betts wasn’t shooting well, but she made her way to the line and racked up points from the charity stripe. UCLA went on an 8-0 run and evened the score at 35. In the final minute of the half, Watkins made sure the Trojans would have the lead, hitting another 3 to put USC up 38-35 heading into halftime.

In the third quarter, UCLA reminded us why they entered this contest as the top team in the country. Betts scored seven-straight points and a Londynn Jones 3-pointer had the Bruins on a 10-0 run to start the period. Suddenly, it looked as though Watkins’ effort would end in a defeat, with UCLA up 45-38 and flipping all the momentum in their favor.

Watkins and Iriafen then went on their own 5-0 run to get back to within two points. However, UCLA had just as much offense, with the trio of Rice, Janiah Barker and Timea Gardiner scoring to keep the Bruins in front. The final 90 seconds of the third saw no more scoring, and UCLA entered the final 10 minutes of the game up 52-47.

With UCLA being undefeated, you’d think they’d close this game out, even on the road. Watkins and USC, though, had other plans. JuJu was dishing out dimes and scoring big-time buckets to start the quarter, and the lead evaporated as USC regained the edge by just one point with under six minutes to go, thanks to another make by Watkins.

And it wasn’t just offense where Watkins excelled. She had key rejections on Jones, helped force 24-second violations and made the Bruins’ looks at the basket difficult throughout the fourth.

After Barker evened the score for UCLA, USC was unfazed and took back control. Watkins and Iriafen combined for 15 of the team’s remaining 20 points and the Bruins’ offense ground to a halt. USC pulled off the upset by outscoring UCLA 24-8 in the fourth.

Key takeaways

When previewing this battle for LA, we mentioned that Watkins needed 30-plus points, in addition to getting some help, to pull off the upset. Well, that’s exactly what happened. JuJu scored 38 points, while Iriafen closed the game strong.

This USC season has been filled with ups and downs, but Watkins is the cheat code. As long as she’s healthy, she’s good enough to overwhelm even the best team in the country and make them crumble beneath her feet. On Thursday night, UCLA learned this the hard way.

From the Bruins’ perspective, a loss can be a lesson. The offense struggled; they couldn’t get the ball inside to Betts, and when she did get a shot up, it often missed. To fall apart in the fourth, even on the road, was disappointing. The backcourt couldn’t help their star big, and if they came in with too much confidence, that most certainly is gone now. They now know that they can be beaten.

Fans won’t have to wait long for the rematch. The teams will face each other again on Mar. 1 at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.