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Given the proximity of the schools and the quality of the programs, each recent USC-UCLA game has been a marquee matchup.
Saturday’s contest will be no exception. The first battle between the Trojans and Bruins tips off in Pauley Pavilion tips off at 8 p.m. ET (Peacock).
UCLA, at 13-1 and ranked No. 4 in country, will enter as the favorite. But USC is also a good team, ranked No. 17 in the nation. Add in Londynn Jones transferring in the summer from UCLA to USC, freshman Jazzy Davidson lighting things up for the Trojans and the Bruins entering this game ready to show they are the team to beat in the Big Ten, and suddenly, we have ourselves a must-see contest.
Here’s what each team needs to do to walk out of the Pauley Pavilion with a win.
How UCLA can protect their house
This is UCLA’s year not just to win their conference, but to win it all.
Lauren Betts continues to show that she is one of the best bigs in the nation. She’s averaging 16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. While her scoring is impressive, her decision-making with the ball is equally as good. Betts is averaging 3.1 assists per game, and her turnovers have dipped slightly to 2.3 per game. As a defender, few bigs can compare with Betts. She is elite in pick-and-roll defensive coverages and has mastered contesting shots at the rim without fouling.
If Betts can get going early, it could be an easy night for the Bruins.
In the backcourt, it’s all about the trio of Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Gabriela Jaquez. They each score in double figures, and given how unselfish they are, one of them is almost always guaranteed to have a standout performance.
Defensively, the key for UCLA will be to contain Davidson. She is USC’s leading scorer, averaging 16.8 points per game. If they can disrupt her rhythm early, they should be able to protect homecourt and win their seventh-straight game.
How USC can pull off the upset
For the Trojans, this is, on paper, an uphill battle.
To win at UCLA, they’ll need to neutralize the Bruins’ strength and then maximize their own.That means they’ll have to disrupt Betts as much as possible. Luckily, they have the defenders to do so.
Not only will the defense have to be sharp, but the offense will have to step up as well. That means Davidson playing up to her level of production, and the same goes for Jones and Kara Dunn. Given that UCLA is the better team, USC will also need some unsung heroes to step up. Can Kennedy Smith have a big offensive game? They might need her to, so they can come out victorious.
While it looks like UCLA is in a position to dominate, this rivalry is often heated and tightly-contested. So don’t be surprised if USC makes it a closer game than their records indicate it should be.
